Emo 'ole Make loa
by Cokie316
Summary: The unthinkable has happened.
1. Chapter 1

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**By Cokie**_

_**~~~H50~~~  
**_

_**OK, I totally got ahead of myself and posted before I intended to do so. This story is... different, to say the least. It began as a "this can never happen" by sherry57 and after that, a "what if" by sym64. And my brain wouldn't get this scene out of my mind.  
**_

_**So, now, you get to scream at me! Thanks to sym64 and also to sockie1000 for reading, proofing and making this better than I had it. Thanks to both of you! You are invaluable sources of inspiration and help.  
**_

_**OK, here goes. Along about chapter 3, this will probably change from a "T" rating to an "M" rating. But that's the only chapter. Hope you come back for more after this one.  
**_

_**Chapter 1**_

Monday morning.

And a wet, dreary, drizzly one at that.

When people think of Hawaii, their first image is sun, surf and sand. Not a deluge of raindrops, yet this is what visitors would see on this particular Monday morning.

Max Bergman parked his yellow Camaro and pulled up the hood of his windbreaker before getting out of the car. He dashed into the side entrance of the ME's office on Iwilei Road and shook the water off his jacket while heading toward his office.

Max didn't _**hate**_ Mondays, but today his mood was as melancholy as the weather outside. He had arrived back on Oahu late last night after spending the weekend on the big island at an RPG convention. He came away with a second place trophy, only because the dastardly fiend, Throg played a totally uncalculated, and as Max suspected, illegal move. But Throg, along with his human counterpart, the rude Dr. Richard Cornish, walked away with first place.

And second place just didn't set well with Dr. Max Bergman.

But he would be ready the next time. With calculated moves of his own.

Max brewed a cup of tea and picked up the logs from the weekend. Another reason he wasn't fond of Mondays was the fact that there were always crazy cases over the weekends. You never knew what you would get when you walked into the office. With his tea in hand, Max headed to the piano and sat down. He took a sip from the cup before setting it down and automatically began playing "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head". From there, he moved to "Monday, Monday" and "Kentucky Rain". He was more of a classical kind of guy, but the damp weather was bringing out the "oldies" and he just "followed his fingers".

People always thought of Max as just "the quirky ME" but there was method to his madness. Playing the piano limbered up his fingers for the tasks he would be performing during the day. Even working with dead bodies required finesse and precision, therefore each morning he warmed up his hands before work.

Once his morning ritual was complete, he again grabbed the log sheets and went into the autopsy room. They had received three bodies over the weekend… _a quiet one_, Max thought to himself. At the top of one page, he noted his name with the inscription: Hold for Dr. Bergman.

He checked the deceased name, surprised to note it was a John Doe. The body had been brought in a little over two hours ago. Dale, the night technician, had logged in the vitals; height, weight, etc. before writing out the toe tag and placing the body in the cooler to wait for Max.

Another quirk of Max's was that he preferred the technicians to not disturb the bodies. Max needed to have the full picture and would process the body from start to finish. He wanted to remove the clothing and check it for evidence instead of leaving that task to a medical student, who, for the most part, wasn't interested in learning anything from the deceased. Max was very meticulous in his technique.

He pulled the body crane over to the cooler and opened the drawer, sliding out the tray. Removing the sheet from the victim's feet, he checked the toe tag, verifying the information matched the log in his hand. Before utilizing the crane, he glanced at the temperature gauge on the cooler which showed 54 degrees Fahrenheit. Max tapped the gauge with his index finger, but it remained at 54 degrees.

_Another note that Mr. Stringer did not leave for us,_ Max thought. The cooler in question had recently been repaired… or so he thought. The constant temperature inside should remain no more than 39 degrees Fahrenheit. Before going further, Max went into his office and returned with a note that he taped to the front of the cooler: _Needs repair. Do not use._

Once that task was completed, Max returned his attention back to the body. "Well, Mr. Doe, I am sorry we are meeting under these circumstances. But hopefully you will talk to me," Max told his 'patient'. While others considered his habit a bit nuts, he felt it was only polite since they would be telling him their story by the evidence they provided. And it helped Max's concentration when he talked aloud.

He transferred the body to the autopsy table and reached for his hand-held recorder and began to speak.

"It is Monday morning, August 13, 2012; 8:23 a.m. This is Dr. Max Bergman and before me is a John Doe who was presented in the morgue earlier today at 5:58 a.m. by … hmmm." Max halted his dissertation and checked the log once again. "It appears the method of transportation is missing from this report. I must speak with Mr. Stringer about his lack of detail on the intake log."

Another quirk of Max's was that he always started at the deceased's feet and worked his way up. It was different from the way most examiners processed a victim, but it worked well for Bergman, giving him a totally unbiased view of the body. He pulled the sheet back to his patient's hips then picked up his recorder once again.

"Swimming trunks, Mr. Doe. Is it possible you simply drowned?"

He examined the feet and ankles, checking for broken bones, both visually and with his hands. "Bruising on right ankle and shin. Left knee is also bruised. No broken skin or broken bones noted."

Once again, Max set the recorder aside and pushed the sheet past his victim's waist. He untied the cord on the swim trunks and tugged them downward, pulling them off and placing in a plastic bag which he labeled and sealed.

"Old scar on right upper thigh," Max stopped and examined the wound more thoroughly. "Possibly a gunshot wound." Max continued his visual examination, "Scar, middle, lower belly. Another bullet wound? Possibly. Mr. Doe, were you a trouble maker?"

Max continued his narrative. "Multiple hematoma along belly and torso. Just beginning to form, so probably not more than four to six hours old. Mr. Doe, I do hope you got in a punch or two."

He reached for the victim's right hand, noting redness on the knuckles. "Good for you, you did fight back." Max examined the right hand and arm, noting more bruising, then moved to the opposite side of the table to examine the left hand and forearm.

Max glanced once again at the stomach wound and then looked more closely at the naked belly and chest. Something seemed… like déjà vu. And Max's intuition was almost nearly, always correct. And he didn't like what he was feeling.

"No, no, no, it can't be," Max whispered.

With shaky fingers, Max flipped the sheet down, covering his patient's body down to his knees before reaching for the top of the sheet. He hesitated before pulling it down, but then took a deep breath before taking a look at Mr. Doe's face.

The recorder slipped from Max's slack fingers and landed on the tile floor, bouncing into three separate pieces. Max didn't even hear the break; he was totally focused on the face of his victim.

_**Not**_ John Doe.

_**Not**_ an unknown.

Lying on the slab before Max was the body of his friend, Steve McGarrett, his serene face bruised, swollen and bloodied.

And as difficult as it was for Max to believe that the commander was here in the morgue, on a slab, dead, his body recently stripped by him, what really had his attention was the red bulls eye painted on the man's forehead… most likely made in Steve's own blood.

~~~H50~~~


	2. Chapter 2

_I already know that my Monday is going to be hectic with a presentation due, so I'm going to post this tonight rather than trying to squeeze it into my morning schedule. Cokie_

"_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 2**_

"This is Kelly… Hey, Max, hows'zit?"

Chin was leaning against the smart table with a cup of coffee while waiting for the rest of his team to arrive. He listened to Max while turning to see both Danny and Kono enter the glass doors of the Five-0 offices, still shaking water drops from their hair.

"OK, sure, we can be there. You're not going to tell me what this is about?"

Chin held out the phone checking the display to make sure that Max Bergman really did hang up on him. _Gee, thanks, Max. Nice talking to you, too._ Chin dropped his phone back to the table and took another sip of coffee.

"Morning, Chin," Danny called, heading into his office to take off the light-weight jacket he was wearing.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable," Chin called. "That was Max. He said he needs us right away."

"What's up, Cuz?" Kono asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee from the pot in the kitchenette.

"Got me. All he said was, 'Detective Kelly, it is imperative for your team to come to my office now'. And then he hung up."

"That's weird… even for Max," Danny said, grabbing his own cup of coffee.

"Yeah, but it sounded urgent. Where's Steve?"

"He should be here," Danny replied. "He knew I was taking Grace home this morning. Whenever I do that, we don't drive together."

"Well, why don't we call him and tell him to meet us at Max's." Kono said. "Since this must be important."

Danny took a couple sips of the hot coffee. "Yeah, let's go and not keep our resident Dr. Strangelove waiting."

"That's not nice, Danny. Max is very sweet."

"That he is, Kono. But the man just doesn't like me."

"Sure he does. He just feels… intimidated."

"Nice try, Kono. He doesn't like me. Won't call me Danny. He calls Steve, Steve. He calls you Kono. But me? I am detective or Detective Williams. Always. Just wait and see."

They climbed into Chin's black SUV and drove the short distance to the medical examiner's office. On the way, Danny tried to reach Steve, but the call went to voice mail. So, he left an appropriate message: "Yo, you moron. It's going on 9 o'clock. In case you lost track, it's Monday so get your butt in gear and meet us at Max's. He's got something for us to see."

They once again ran through the rain and entered the side entrance of the building through the lower level hallway to the Medical Examiner's offices and the autopsy rooms. They turned the corner and saw Max in the hallway, pacing in front of his door.

"Hey, Max, what's up?" Chin asked.

Max stopped in his tracks and stared at the trio. "Chin. Detective. Kono. You're here."

Danny cut a glance in Kono's direction and nodded his head. _Told ya so._

"Yes, Max, we're here. You asked us to come, remember?" Chin thought maybe he should jog Max's memory of the phone call.

Max paced away from them. "Yes. Yes, of course I did."

"Max?" Kono walked toward him and put her hand on his arm, then jerked back when he jumped away from her.

Bergman turned to them once again. "I apologize. Forgive me. But it is… I have… this is difficult…"

"Come on, Max, spit it out. Unless you want to wait for Steve. He should be on his way," Danny told him.

"Steve? No… let's…" The ME opened the door and entered his outer office, assuming the others would follow.

Danny turned to his friends and made a face, gesturing for them to enter before him. "Think we can hurry this up?" he mumbled for their ears only.

"All right," Max began again. He turned around to face them, taking a deep breath and staring at a point on the wall over Kono's left shoulder. "This morning when I arrived, a body was waiting for me. A John Doe. Only…"

"From your distress, I take it you recognize this John Doe?" Chin asked, hoping to cut Max's narrative short.

Max glanced at Chin, then slowly nodded and spoke in a voice so low they had to strain to hear.

"It is Commander McGarrett."

~~~H50~~~

When Max first told them, they had stood staring at him for several seconds; all three in total shock. Finally Danny asked the first question he could think of, knowing when it came out of his mouth that it was absolutely the stupidest thing he could have said.

"Are you sure?"

Max didn't even bother answering.

Chin finally found his voice. "What-what happened?"

Finally Max was back in his element. "Unknown at present. The comman—Steve… was barefoot and wearing swim trunks. He has recently been in an altercation; bruised knuckles and some severe hematoma on his body. And… well, you need—you need to see something else. If you prefer, you can view the photographs the body. I haven't begun… I called you as soon as…"

Danny laid a hand on Max's arm and whispered, "Thanks." He pushed both hands through his hair then turned to Chin and Kono. "I don't… What do we do first?"

Kono finally took in a loud breath, choking out a sob. She turned to Chin, hiding her head in his shoulder. The normally stoic Kelly held her silently, allowing her to regain her composure.

"Max," Danny spoke, deciding what needed to be done. "No photographs. I need to see him."

"Very well," he agreed.

"Yeah, me, too," Chin agreed while Kono nodded into his shoulder.

Max opened the door to his autopsy room and Kono stopped in her tracks, changing her mind. "I don't know if I can do this," she spoke in a quiet voice.

Chin immediately turned to her and pulled her close to him. "Then stay here. You don't have to go in. You know that."

She pulled away and wiped away a tear. "No," she waffled once again. "I think I really need to. I'm… I'll be OK," she assured him.

They followed Max slowly and quietly into the harsh, sterile looking room, all three staring at the sheet-covered figure on the metal table beneath the bright, industrial light. Max moved to the opposite side of the table while the three friends provided a barrier between Steve and the outside world.

Bergman reached for the sheet, holding the corner lightly in his fingers, then looked at the three shocked friends. "Let me know when you are ready."

Danny took a shaky breath and glanced at Chin, who nodded. Danny looked at Max and gave him a slight nod then watched as Bergman unfolded the sheet to Steve's shoulders.

They stared at his bruised and bloody face, the dried red bull's eye on his forehead mocking them. Chin grabbed Kono's shoulders, holding her while Danny reached out and grasped her hand. The trio immediately moved closer together, all three staring at McGarrett's face.

Danny was breathing loudly through his nose and finally opened his mouth, vowing, "I will find and I will kill the man who did this with my bare hands, if it is the last thing that I do." The hand not holding Kono's balled into a fist and he fought to keep from hitting something… anything in his anger. "Steve, I swear to you, I'll find 'im."

"No," Chin quietly said. "We will find him. And he will pay."

Kono let go of her friends and moved to the head of the autopsy table. "Oh, Steve," she whispered, reaching her hand out to touch him, but at the last minute, pulled it back. "Boss, what did they do to you?"

"Max?" Chin folded his arms and planted his feet on the floor in a fighting stance. "What can you tell us?"

"Nothing really, yet. I," he hesitated once again. "I feel I must recuse myself from this… case. I would not be an objective examiner and could possibly overlook something important."

Danny glanced over at the doctor and spoke quietly, "I understand that, Max, but you know Steve would want you to do it instead of some stranger."

The doctor glanced at the figure on the table and shook his head. "I will consult, most definitely, but I can't…"

"We understand, Max," Chin assured him. He clasped his hands in front of his face, then asked, "OK, what do we know? What information came in with the… body?"

Max reached for the paperwork. "John Doe, delivered here at 5:58. There is a notation at the top of the log stating that the body should come to me."

"Why is that?" Chin asked.

"I do not know. Rarely is a body flagged for a certain ME. Also curious is the fact that Mr. Stringer, our night technician did not record which medical service dropped off the body. That is standard procedure."

"OK, first, we need to speak to this Mr. Stringer," Danny decided. "We need to write this down, never mind, we can dictate into my phone."

Max then looked at the floor. "I had started recording my findings but my recorder is… apparently no longer functional."

Chin reached down and picked up the battery. "Here's a portion of it."

Kono remained at the head of the table, staring into Steve's face. "All right, talk to Stringer. What next?"

"Max, walk us through your routine this morning. Don't leave anything out. Any detail might be important."

"Very well. I arrived at work in a downpour at approximately 8 o'clock. I brewed my morning cup of tea and picked up the logs from the weekend noting that I had a John Doe case. As per usual, I sat down at the piano and played. This morning, it was three songs, 'Raindrops Keep—"

"OK, I don't care what damn songs you played," Danny harshly cut in, then pinched his thumb and forefinger at the base of his nose, in an attempt to stop the blossoming headache that was forming. "Sorry, Max, I'm sorry. Please continue."

"Apology accepted, Detec… Danny. This case will not be easy for any of us."

Danny glanced at Steve's face once again, then looked away. "Yeah. I know that, Max." He then remembered another task they had to perform and rubbed his hand across his eyes. "And we're gonna have to call Mary. And Catherine." He took a deep breath. "God," he whispered. "How will we get through this?"

Chin moved closer to the detective and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Together," he promised. "That's the only way."

"Yeah." He took another cleansing breath and focused again on Bergman. "OK, Max, after the piano, what next?"

"I read through what little information was on the log. As I said, the… body was delivered at 5:58. I checked to ensure the toe tag matched the number that was logged into our system, then retrieved it… the body… from the cooler and positioned him onto the autopsy table."

"And discovered it was Steve," Chin surmised.

"No, not quite yet," Max replied a bit sheepishly. "I, well, I have a system and I started at his feet. Noted bruising on his knees, and worked my way up." He paused and reached for the sheet, folding it down to Steve's lower belly. "Notice the numerous hematoma on the torso and stomach. By the discoloration, I would determine this happened less than six hours ago."

"How about defensive wounds?" Danny asked, then looked down at Steve's hand.

"Yes, there is bruising to the knuckles on both hands and defensive bruising on his arms," Max replied.

"And… TOD?" Chin asked, not willing to say the actual words, "time of death".

"Also unknown," Max told him. "As I said, I did nothing after seeing who it was." He pointed to the healed scar on Steve's lower stomach. "When I saw the scar here," he pointed, "something clicked in my brain and, even before I removed the sheet, I knew this was Steve. From the wound that I dressed for him last year."

"And then you saw the bull's eye," Kono flatly stated. "Who would do something like this?" She reached up and this time, brushed her fingers through his hair, another tear falling down her cheek. "What does it even mean?"

"Well, someone thought of Steve as a target," Chin replied. "And we're going to find out who."

"Damn straight," Danny replied.

"And apparently, for some reason, they made sure that I would see him," Max added. He rolled the cart with his autopsy instruments closer to the table. "I suppose, even though I will not be lead medical examiner on this case, I should verify a TOD as quickly as possible." He picked up what looked like a meat thermometer. "I will need to perform a liver temp… if you would like to leave the room."

Danny placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "I'm staying."

"Me, too," Chin agreed.

Kono nodded, not taking her eyes off her boss' serene face.

Danny removed his hand, then placed it on Steve's arm, staring at him in thought. "Max?" he asked in a quizzical tone.

"Yes, Detective."

"Didn't you say you got the body from the freezer?"

"Well, no, actually it is a cooler. Unfortunately that is another thing Mr. Stringer did not record. This particular cooler wasn't working properly and the temperature was approximately 54 degrees Fahrenheit."

"OK, if he was in a cooler, how come Steve's body is warm?"

~~~H50~~~

_ok, first off, thanks so much for all the reviews on chapter 1. I'm sorry this wasn't posted sooner, but I only have 5 chapters finished and didn't want to press my luck. Until the story is complete, I can only post once a week. And secondly, chapter 3 will have an "M" rating, but after that we'll be back to a milder rating. And I don't think I've ever labeled anything with an "M" rating before, but just to be on the safe side... :)_


	3. Chapter 3

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Disclaimer: I need to preface this chapter with a few comments: **_

_**(a) this is fiction… please keep that in mind. **_

_**(b) While I did extensive research into drugs, I chose to be very vague in here… so, take the following with a grain of salt. I am not a medical professional; therefore none of this is close to being real; and **_

_**(c) please don't try this on anyone at home! **_

_**It was suggested that I change this chapter rating to "M". After this, I believe (so far) it can go back to K+, but just to be safe, I will consult my experts... you know who you are. **_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

_**OK, let's hit the rewind button…**_

4:30 a.m.

Steve finally rolled over and opened his eyes to stare at the clock at his bedside. _Too flipping early to be awake. Again. _

He sat up and swung his legs onto the floor. He knew from past experience that he wouldn't get back to sleep for a while yet. He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his open palms, rubbing his eyes. This same scenario had played out almost every night since he had returned from Korea over a month ago.

With a sigh, he got up and grabbed a pair of swim trunks from the dresser drawer. Maybe if he swam for a half hour, he could wear himself out enough to be able to fall back to sleep for an extra hour or so. Some nights that worked; some it did not. He slid his feet into slippers and grabbed his phone and a towel before heading out the door toward the beach. He tossed the towel into a chair, set down his phone and kicked out of his shoes, all in one smooth move without even breaking stride.

He dove under the water, allowing his body to glide beneath the surface before breaking through a wave. He rolled onto his back and looked up at the night sky, relaxing his body and floated. This felt like home. Out here, memories like Korea didn't seem so close to the surface. The nightmares were just that… relegated to the night.

He enjoyed the relaxation for a few moments, and then began to swim. He stopped after a minute, thinking he heard something, but all was quiet except for the continual crashing of the waves.

"Help me!"

Steve stopped once again, listening. The voice carried over to him a second time.

"HELP!"

The moon was still high enough in the sky to cast a path of white light in its beam and Steve saw movement approximately 50 yards away. He immediately began swimming in that direction, now hearing frantic sobbing along with the cries for help. As he got closer, he could see a woman, barely managing to keep her head above water.

"Oh, thank God you were here," she cried, gulping and holding in a sob. "I thought I was going to die," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight grip. "Thank you, thank you."

"Ma'am, what are you doing out here alone?" he asked, looking around and seeing nothing.

Steve felt a sting in his neck and heard her laugh.

"Well, Commander, I could ask you the same thing. You know, you really shouldn't be so predictable; I knew you would show up about this time."

He pushed her away from him and stared at her, reaching up to feel his neck. "What the …?"

She swam closer to him then signaled two blasts of light from a flashlight that was wrapped around her wrist with a cord. "How are you feeling, Commander? A little off? Any tingling going on? Come on, you can tell me." She laughed, watching the confusion beginning to show on his face.

"What did you do? Who the hell are you?" Steve fought to keep upright in the water. The tingling she mentioned had begun in his neck, quickly reaching his face. His lips were becoming numb and he felt like the words were forced past a thick tongue.

She reached out and grabbed his arm. "I'll give you the full story once we're on the boat," she told him.

He jerked away. "Don't think so." He turned and began swimming away from her. At least he tried, but his arms were beginning to feel weighted down. He was surprised when, somehow, she managed to grab hold of his wrist.

"Commander, I don't think you're going anywhere on your own."

Steve looked up and suddenly there was a boat looming next to them. _Where the hell did that come from?_ Two men reached down and grabbed his arms to pull him upward. His arms felt sluggish, but he managed to plant a foot on the side of the boat and jerk, pulling both men into the water with him.

They both howled at the unexpected move, but their surprise gave Steve a chance to put some space between himself and the three would-be kidnappers. Unfortunately it didn't give him enough of a headstart because he felt his ankle grabbed and his leg was twisted, jerking him around. The other man planted his fist in Steve's jaw, snapping his head backward. The tingling in his arms was getting worse and he could feel the sensation traveling lower on his body, making even kicking in the water a difficult task. The men each grabbed an arm and pulled him forward.

"Hang on to him this time," the woman, and apparently the 'boss' warned them as she moved to the boat and hoisted herself up the ladder onto the deck.

One of the men twisted Steve's arm behind his back in a painful move while the other climbed the ladder. Steve still fought using his other elbow to hit the man holding him in the jaw. The grip on his arm was loosened, but not released and before he could make another move, he saw another fist coming toward his face. He raised his arm and deflected the blow but the man instead grabbed his arm and pulled him upward. Steve tried to twist away but he could feel his body shutting down bit by bit. He knew he didn't have much of a chance to escape. The woman reached down and grasped his other biceps and the three of them got him on board, face down on the deck, while he still fought them with his remaining strength.

"OK, boys, I promised, so you can have at him," the female told them with another laugh.

The larger of the men flipped Steve over and grabbed his arms jerking them behind Steve's back. He was hauled to his feet until he was standing on wobbling legs, held up by his attacker. The smaller, wiry partner used his fists, first in Steve's stomach and ribcage and then his face. Steve managed to jerk his right arm free and threw a rather uncoordinated punch, but he managed a well placed hit directly on his attacker's nose. Blood immediately spurted and the man roared with rage, immediately reciprocating by planting his fist into Steve's nose. His head snapped back into the man holding him and blood immediately flowed from his nostrils, covering the lower half of his face.

"That's for my brother," the man said.

"All right, I think that's enough," the woman said. The man holding Steve released his arms and he landed back on the deck with a thud. He managed to roll on his side and cough up some blood that had drained down the back of his throat.

The other man held his own nose, screaming, "The SOB broke my nose!" In rage, he kicked Steve in the back, flipping him over from his side onto his stomach.

"OK, I said **enough!" **she shouted. "Help me turn him over and then you two go below and change your clothes. I'll call for you when I'm ready for you."

Steve was quickly flipped and roughly propped up against the box seat that ran along the starboard side of the boat. He blinked to clear his vision and glared at the woman who was on her knees next to him, smiling. His arms were now useless and he could feel the lethargy moving down his legs. But he still had the will to fight and raised his knee and kicked out in her direction.

"Who are you and what the hell do you want?" he said, forcing the words out with difficulty, alarmed at the feeling that his throat was closing.

"Oh, I'm sure you have more questions than that," she replied, the smile constantly in place. She reached up and patted his cheek and then straddled his lap, pinning down his legs. "And I'll answer them all, don't you worry." She got comfortable, sitting on his legs and pulled her long, wet hair back off her face with a scrunchie that had been around her wrist. "Now, that's better. As for what I want, I have it all right here." She reached out and caressed his face once again. "Because what I want is _**you**_, Commander Steven J. McGarrett. And I just bet you want to know why, don't you?"

"I repeat, who are you?" Steve asked again. "And what did you… give me?"

"Well," she began, cocking her head to one side. "Introductions first. We'll get to the good stuff later. My name is Chastity. Chastity Raymond. And we have met before, by the way." The smile disappeared. "You and your partner came to my house to tell me that my husband had been killed. Do you remember that?" Her voice raised with each sentence. "Do you remember Marcus Raymond? Your loud-mouthed partner shot him." Her eyes were wild with rage and pent-up fury. "Tell me, Steven, do you remember?"

Steve stared her down. "Raymond? Yeah, a couple of months ago. Some scientist who stole cases of toxins and venom from the University. Took strains of several deadly viruses, too." _Oh, shit._

"Yes, that's my Marcus. He was my husband, _**Steve**_. He was _**my**_ partner. And you underestimated him, didn't you? Just because he was a scientist, a geek, you confronted him; thought you could make a deal. That is, until he pulled the gun on you, isn't that right? That was a surprise, wasn't it?" She laughed out loud. "He was so excited. Told me he couldn't wait to use that gun. He wanted to know how it felt to blow someone away."

"He was crazy."

Before he could blink, her hand raised and she slapped his face. "Don't you dare use that word. He was _**not**_ crazy. He would have killed you until your partner came around the corner and shot him. So… Detective Danny Williams is going to pay. By losing _**his **_partner. How's that, Steven. Tit for tat? Isn't that the way it works?"

"You're as crazy as he—"

She slapped him across the face again. "I said not to use that word. Did you not hear me?" She grabbed his head in her hands and banged it against the bench in rhythm to her words . "Do. Not. Use. That. Word."

Blood from his nose splattered on her skin. Steve's vision grayed around the edges from the hits to his head and it took a few moments before he could focus on her again.

Chastity jumped up and paced the boat. "See what you made me do?" she screamed. "I _**told**_ you not to say that, but you didn't listen. You need to listen to me. Now," she looked up at the sky and took a deep breath and then turned back to him. "Forgive me, please, for hitting you." She came and sat back down on his lap, once again smiling at him.

_Forgive you? Sure, that's gonna happen in this lifetime._

The boat was dark; no running lights whatsoever as they bobbed gently in with the waves. The morning light was still a few minutes away but even though it was not light, Steve could still see the madness in her eyes. And with that madness was a glee that she couldn't hide. She could hardly contain herself, wanting to tell him everything. He had tried to speak but his words had come out almost like guttural grunts. His tongue couldn't form the words. And she laughed that shrill, maniacal giggle once again. When he tried to move, his arms were like dead weights, his hands lying slack on the deck. His legs still had feeling, but he knew he had no chance of making any kind of escape… especially with the nutjob sitting on his lap.

Chastity stopped talking and looked closely at Steve, cupping one side of his face in her palm. "I bet your face hurts, doesn't it, Babe?" Using her thumb, she wiped the blood away from his lips, then leaned in and kissed him. "I have to admit, you _**are**_ a cute one… maybe I should have planned a bit more time so we could have some fun." She leaned back a few inches so she could look into his eyes. "Oh, Stevie, I see revulsion in your eyes. You don't want me to kiss you? Come on, live a little." She giggled again, "For what little time you have left."

_Get off me, you crazy bitch. There, I called you 'crazy'. Crazy, crazy, crazy. Want to slap me again? I'd rather you did than kiss me. _

She ground her lips harshly against his once again and between nipping little kisses along his jaw line, said, "I bet I'm better than that little Navy whore you see from time to time."

_Get your slutty mouth off me! And how did you know about Catherine?_

She smiled against his neck. "You haven't had a clue that I've been watching you, have you? You, Danny, Chin, Kono, Catherine… everyone. At first I thought I would take Danny's new squeeze, Gabby, but then I watched you and Danny together. You are a team. And I knew. It had to be you, Babe." She laughed, sitting back up and planting one more kiss on his lips. "That sounds like a song. But I knew that by taking you, Danny Williams would pay. But," she shrugged her shoulders, "After you're gone I might just take care of Gabby, too. Maybe she'll be hit by a car or killed in a drive by or something spectacular. Who knows?"

_Yeah, and maybe Danny's gonna find you and you'll be as dead as your dearly-departed whack job of a __husband._

She thought for another second, then added, "And I seriously thought about little Gracie, but if I did something to her, Marcus wouldn't like it."

Steve growled low in his throat and tried to buck her off his lap, but she laughed and put her hands on his shoulders. "Do you really think you're going anyplace? But out of respect for Marcus, I'll leave Grace alone. He was really partial to kids…" Chastity got closer to Steve and whispered, "Let me tell you a secret. I never told Marcus that I got rid of our kid when I found out I was pregnant. Twice. I just couldn't stand the thought of sharing my lover with _**any**_one else."

_Yeah, trust me, __**no one**__ else would want to spend time with you. And your gene pool is probably seriously lacking, too._

She looked at her watch. "We've still got some time, so while we're waiting, let me tell you about Marcus."

_Yeah, just what I want to hear._

"But first, let's see how you're doing. It's been about twenty minutes. According to the schedule, your arms should be total dead weights." She picked up Steve's wrist and held his arm in the air, then let go, allowing it to drop to the deck with a thud. She laughed. "That's pretty funny. Especially for a rough and tough Navy SEAL. Let's do that again." She repeated with the other arm, listening as it hit the deck. "How does it feel, _**Commander**_ to have been beaten by a woman? Huh?"

_Not dead yet, crazy lady. _

"But I have to tell you; I'll brag just a little bit. You see, I'm not a normal woman. You think I'm pretty don't you?"

_About as pretty as a __viper__ can be. Crazy. There, I said it again. _

"But, you see, Steve, I'm more than pretty, I've got brains. Bet you would love to have some of me, wouldn't you? Come on, Steve, you can admit it." She reached for his hand and placed it on her breast, on top of her scanty swimsuit top. "Does that feel good?

_No, it does not, and I would kindly like my hand back._

"Even though you can't move, I know you can still feel. So, does it feel good? See… I made sure the drugs don't deaden your senses. In fact, pretty soon, they will all be heightened." She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. "But don't worry, you don't have to thank me… yet."

_Good thing._

"Oh, forgive me, I got sidetracked. I was going to tell you all about Marcus and me. You see, we met at Berkeley and were instantly drawn to each other. We understood each other and no one else seemed to get us."

_Maybe the rest of people were sane. _

"After college, we were both recruited to work at a pharmaceutical company in northern California. And we learned so much. We even worked overtime, perfecting our own little drugs. But the company just didn't appreciate our dedication and we had to leave."

She stuck out her lower lip and pouted for a moment, before brightening again. "But that was OK because we came to Hawaii. Marcus got a job at a chemical firm and we set up a lab in a storage unit. No one ever knew. And when you came to my house, I played the innocent victim and told you that I didn't know anything about what Marcus had been up to. I was good, wasn't I, Steve? You didn't suspect a thing, did you? Bet now you wish you wouldn't have taken me for granted."

The sun was beginning to come up over the horizon and Steve watched as her face took on a faraway gaze. "My Marcus was so brilliant. His Momma and Daddy sure gave him the good genes." She smiled. "Unfortunately, they didn't have any left to share with his two brothers." She grinned at him once again. "I believe you have met them… Barry and Walt? They just beat the tar out of you. What they lack in brains, they made up for in brawn. And meanness. They got that from their daddy."

"After we came to Hawaii, Marcus and I perfected a biochemical weapon that was absolutely ingenious. It would have worked, too, if the government would have given us the time of day. I mean, we were going to offer it to our own government first, but noooo, we weren't even good enough to get an interview. So we decided to mass produce some and sell it to the highest bidder. _**That's**_ what we were doing when we met you!"

_Not only are you nuts, you are a traitor. Hopefully the government raised red flags when you tried to sell them anti-warfare drugs. Not as brilliant as you think, huh?_

She smiled at him again while checking her watch once more. "A couple more minutes. You didn't know I was there that day at the plant, did you? We all took part in getting the toxins. But we got away. All but Marcus. That's where I first saw you. And your hot-shot partner. He saved your ass that day, right at the last minute. Unfortunately, not this time, though." She poked him in the chest. "But not this time, because (a) he doesn't know you're missing; and (b) you'll be dead, dead, dead before he sees you again. Poor, dear dead Steve." Each word was accompanied with a poke.

_OK, maybe the odds aren't the best, but I'm not giving up on Danny yet._

She jumped off his lap while glancing at her watch once more. "OK, it's time. Let's see how you're doing, all righty?" Chastity reached for a black canvas gym bag and unzipped it, pulling out a stethoscope and a blood pressure cuff. "I'm going to guess that right now, your BP is pretty high. Is that sweet little heart of yours racing, Stevie? Don't worry if it is… I'll take care of that in a few minutes." She deftly put the cuff around his arm and took his pressure. "Oh, that _**is**_ racing, isn't it?" She set her equipment aside and pulled out four vials of liquid, a rubber strip to tie around his arm and several disposable syringes.

"OK, now it is party time. I know you are just _**dying**_ to know." Chastity laughed at herself once again. "I made a funny, didn't I, Steve? Too bad you can't laugh with me."

_Oh, crap. No more drugs. And yeah, I'm really laughing. _

She glanced at him and wiped liquid off his chin. "Oh, Babe, that isn't becoming. You're drooling. But not to worry, I'll take care of that, too. In fact, very soon you'll be so parched, you'll wish for that spit."

_If I had spit, I know what I'd do with it._

She stared at his face. "You look so angry, Steven. Come on, this is exciting. I planned this just for you, so you should feel honored. Really. This is a first for both of us. Of course… it's also your last, but I just can't help that. You see, you deserve it. Had you not confronted Marcus, none of this would be happening. So, sorry, Pal, but it's your own fault."

_OK, I'll take full blame. Let's just forget the drugs._

"Let's talk about this little cocktail I'm going to mix for you. You remember the starter dose – it hit pretty quickly, didn't it? Numbed you up and stopped you. Nothing like grabbing a Navy SEAL in the water and incapacitating him in two minutes flat. I'm pretty sure some foreign government would be interested in that one. The final product will be in aerosol form, so there won't have to be any physical contact. Just think, in the hands of the right buyer, I wonder how many other SEALs can be taken down with it? Something to think about, huh, Babe? And you should be so proud, being the test subject and all."

_Steve inwardly cringed thinking how his comrades could be affected by the type of agent she was describing. Once airborne, an entire platoon could quickly be taken out._

She picked up the largest vial and showed it to him. "This is the next step. We started it with a base of Curare, but it has been perfected over time. Oh! You should be so proud of me. I wanted this to be perfect for you, so I used test subjects. About four weeks ago, I 'borrowed' an Army guy here on leave. In fact, he looked a lot like you. Six, one, dark hair, really cute and he had a grand time on our date. That is, until he took me home. The fun he had planned just didn't happen. Unfortunately, the dosage wasn't right and he had a heart attack early on." She shook her head, sadly. "I felt really bad because I had failed. So, I had to reconfigure the dosages and timing of each. I thought I had them right last week, but when I tried again on another guy about your size, he lasted longer but not long enough. His heart just stopped way too soon. Poor Dougie is swimming with the fishies." She laughed again. "Actually, by now I'm sure he's swimming _**in**_ the fishies, if you know what I mean. I am pretty funny tonight, aren't I?"

_Oh, yeah, quite the comedian. So they can already tack two murders on you. And that's just in the last month._

She cocked her head. "Steve, don't you think I'm funny?" She leaned in closer to him. "What did you say? Oh, wait, I forgot… you can't talk, can you?"

_I repeat… you're a crazy bitch. Can you hear me?_

"Now, back to the science lesson. Curare, several toxins, which I managed to get _**after**_ Marcus was killed. The key was not taking so much at a time… it wasn't even missed. But with the toxins, I even added some secret voodoo powder from an old witch in the French Quarter. And trust me, it works. You'll like that. And then there is the venom... well, I just don't want to bore you, but I chose ome good ones." She wrapped the rubber band around his upper arm and tied it, using her finger to palpate his veins. "Oh, good ones. Oops, almost forgot!" She stood up and leaned down below. "Hey, boys, I need your help. Steve, you probably need to be lying down for this since the last guy seized for a few minutes. But trust me, after that, you will begin to feel euphoria. Your body won't work, but your mind will soar."

The two brothers came upstairs, dressed in uniforms from one of the EMS companies on Oahu.

"What'cha want, Chas?" Walt asked.

"Get him lying down and then wait. You might need to pin him down if he gets too wild."

They each grabbed a foot and pulled, allowing his head to slam against the deck. Barry grinned. "That what you had in mind? He's down."

_Moron One and Moron Two._

"Whatever. Makes no matter to me." She knelt down next to Steve and felt for the vein once again. With a large syringe, she drew up the amber colored liquid. "Now, this needs to infuse slowly, so it will take a couple of minutes."

"Here, we go, Love. Just be patient." She slid the needle into his vein and then carefully taped it in place before pushing the plunger.

Steve felt the moment the liquid hit his vein, feeling like acid crawling up his arm. It spread from his arm into his shoulder, neck and then downward, but the pain never lessened, just burned wherever it touched.

_Shit, that hurts._

Chastity continued with the push, watching him closely with a smile on her face. She placed her other hand flat on his belly, rubbing it. "Can you tell a difference yet? Touch on your skin will be heightened." Her hand slipped beneath the waistband of his swimsuit. "I know you're going to love it."

_Not likely. Get your hand away._

Steve felt like his insides were crawling and he couldn't move to get away from the sensation. Where she was touching him, the sensation was a combination of burning pain and intense pleasure. She used her finger, drawing slow circles on his stomach before removing her hand and then rubbing it up his thigh, underneath his boardies.

She smiled wickedly. "Almost done. And then we wait." She removed the band from around his arm and handed the BP cuff to Walt. "Get this on his other arm and watch his pressure." She ripped the tape off his arm and removed the syringe, tossing it aside. "OK, Steve, here we go. You feel this?"

_Oh, God, please stop._

Both hands traveled from his waistband up his chest, her fingers lightly touching the hair on his chest; her thumbs rubbing circles on his nipples. "Feel it, Steve. Embrace it."

He wanted to get away from his body. The touch of her fingers, although light, caused immense pain wherever she touched and when she pinched his nipple, the pain was excruciating. He kept his eyes trained on her face, not willing to give in and look away.

_Body's gonna explode here. I can feel my heart…_

"BP is rising," Carl said.

"I bet," Chastity smiled down at him. "I can feel the tremors in the muscles. Can you, Steve? No? Probably not. But here goes, I think you're going to seize."

And he did. Muscles that had refused to obey any of his commands managed to twitch and jerk like he was being pulled by a marionette's strings. His neck arched off the deck, the corded muscles tightening. Steve felt like his heart would burst from his chest and his head would explode from the pain. The muscles in his limbs tensed and twitched, hitting the deck like beats from a drum.

And then it was over.

His body went lax and his eyes unfocused.

He drifted, in oblivion.

"NO!"

"Barry, jump his heart!"

Steve felt a fist hit his chest and everything came back.

The pain.

The boat.

The crazy bitch.

Castity was checking the pulse in his neck while Walt was getting his blood pressure once again. She smiled at him when she realized his eyes were again focused on her.

"Whew, Sweet Thing, I thought you were a goner there for a second. Don't scare me like that." She wiped his mouth once again and leaned in for a quick kiss. "It's getting light, we need to get a move on. Want to have you all ready for your big reveal, don't we? Oh, yeah, that's right… I haven't told you _**that**_ part of the story yet." She grinned at him. "We'll keep that as my little secret for a while, OK?"

_Whatever, Crazy._

She reached for one of the other vials and a syringe. "Now this little drug will help dry you out. No more of that unseemly drool there. In fact, in a few minutes, you won't have to even worry about not being able to swallow." She slid the needle into his arm and pushed the plunger before pulling it out and tossing that syringe aside. "Now this next one has some of the Voodoo Princess's special powder in it. This is going to help you think, keep your brain active and working… like right up to the last minute. Oh, and it's also going to guarantee that you don't pass out or sleep while you're waiting."

"And you're gonna be waiting for an hour or so. Just lying around. Doing nothing." She laughed. "Except trying to breathe, that is." She emptied the contents of the third syringe into a vein and reached for the final vial.

"This is the kicker right here," she explained, waving the vial in front of his face. "I'll wait until you are prepped and ready to go before I use this one." She set it down and reached for the first vial and prepared another dose. "But I want to make sure you can feel everything. Didn't this make you feel good? Hmmm? When someone touches you, the sensation will drive you mad. How about that, Steve? Pain and pleasure? Pleasure and pain? Both together. See, I'm giving you a gift. And here you thought I was all bad."

Steve's mind was racing. Thoughts were flying so fast, he couldn't snatch on to them. Swirls, colors, sounds, smells. Everything was heightened. But the one thing he knew was that he was in a heap of trouble. With no way out, as far as he could tell.

Chastity stood up and put away her vials. Looking around, she checked her watch one more time. "Guys, get him ready while I change my clothes. We need to get to the dock soon, so Walt, go ahead and lift anchor after you get our commander all nice and prepped. Be ready to leave when I get back up. And leave the zipper for me." She bent back down and grabbed Steve's face between her fingers and thumb and turned his head toward her. "Stevie, I'll be right back, so you just be patient." She smacked his cheek. "Good boy. Don't go anywhere."

Steve heard her go down the stairs and felt the movement of her steps reverberate on the deck beneath his back. He also heard the brothers unrolling something before coming over to him.

"Grab his arms, Walt," Barry said.

"Forget that, let's just drag him," Walt replied, grabbing one of Steve's ankles. When his brother had hold of the other ankle, they dragged him down near the stern.

His back felt like the hide was peeled off from the burning pain. They grabbed his legs and shoulders and wherever they touched, pain flared, feeling like pins and needles deep in his muscles.

_What the hell?_

He was placed on what felt like a piece of plastic and left there. The anchor was lifted and he felt the rumble of the engine as it started.

_Deep shit, McGarrett. __No one's gonna know you're missing until you don't show up at work._

Chastity came back wearing a navy blue uniform like the others. She kneeled beside him and turned his head so that he could look at her once again. "Miss me, Stevie? I know you did. How're you feeling now? Nice and comfy?" She reached down and arranged his legs, then grabbed his arms and placed them by his sides. "Want to make you presentable. You know, for your Maker and all that, but also for your friends."

_Huh?_

She reached into a pocket and took out a small paper and folded it into fourths. Chastity gripped Steve's jaw and opened his mouth, poking the paper inside. "Now, don't you swallow that, Baby." She shut his mouth and grinned, caressing his cheek once again. "What's that you say? Oh, silly me. Right… you _**can't**_ swallow, can you? My bad." She leaned down and kissed him one more time, her mouth harsh and painful on his lips. "Goodbye, Steve. It's been fun, hasn't it?"

_About as fun as hell._

Chastity leaned back and motioned for the guys to head for land. Then she looked at Steve once more, this time all business. "OK, here's how it's going down. You, my friend, are going to die. Fairly soon… let's say in an hour-maybe hour-and-a-half, tops." She reached down and started pulling a zipper. "And to help out, you're already in your body bag. How's that for efficiency?"

_Oh, God! Body bag?_

"Now, I plan to deliver you to your friend Max Bergman. See, he had a part in Marcus' death, too. I read it on the death certificate. Signed by Dr. Max Bergman." She leaned down close to Steve. "He cut him open. Just like they're going to do you. Max is going to open this bag and find you. Surprise."

She picked up the last vial of drugs. "And with this little medical miracle, by that time, you will be all but dead. See, this causes your lungs to seize… slowly suffocating you. Your heart rate slows to pretty much non-existant and by the time Max finds you, you'll be all wrapped up in the morgue, just waiting for him."

"Finding you is Max's punishment. You're punishment is not dying the first time when Marcus wanted to kill you. And Danny's punishment is losing you. Too bad you won't be around to see that, huh? Think he's going to feel guilty? Hmmm? Will he grieve?" She filled the syringe. "You know what? I can't wait to find out. I'm going to be watching and listening. And I'm going to your funeral and watch all the pomp and circumstance befitting a Naval officer. Too bad your friends will never know what really went down."

She emptied the syringe into his vein. "Although I don't know for certain, I'm going to assume that this will cause a very unpleasant feeling. Your respiration will slow so much that you eventually suffocate. When I decided I was going to kill you, I thought it would be fitting to do so with one of the weapons Marcus was working on when he died. As homage to him."

"So, in conclusion, goodbye, Steven." She zipped the bag up to his chest. "Oops, your nose is still bleeding. Hmm, this will be fun." She used her index finger and caught a dollop of blood, drawing a circle on his forehead. She then dipped her thumb into the blood on his face and pressed it into the center of the circle.

"Bulls eye. I hit it, dead center and got exactly what I wanted. And now, just one more thing. Take a last good look, Stevie. It's gonna be your last."

_No!_

She used her thumbs and closed his eyes.

He heard the sound of the zipper as his world turned black as night.

~~~H50~~~


	4. Chapter 4

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 4**_

_**The last chapter was rated "M". Just so you know, the rest will be back down to a normal rating. At least, I *think* I can control Chastity's behavior!**_

_**For all the "guest reviews", I would like to thank you for taking time to review. I am working on this as much as I can, but the last couple of weeks my writing time has been almost non-existent. Hopefully I'll do better this week so that I'll have a cushion to rely on!**_

_**And again, I want to thank sockie1000 and sym64 for their time and patience while reviewing my writing. Also Rogue Tomato and sherry57 for their helpful ideas and insights. I guess you are my "home-away-from-home-Ohana. Mahalo!**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Steve felt, more than heard the boat reach the dock. Muffled voices drifted to him when Chastity ordered the men to back the EMS vehicle as close to the dock as possible. He was roughly lifted and put down on a gurney, then felt the straps pulled tight over the bag he was in. The trip to the vehicle was rough and they didn't care that he was uncomfortable as they tugged and jerked the gurney off the dock and through the sand. He felt the gurney slide into the back of the van, lock into place and then heard the doors slam shut.

_OK, McGarrett focus. _

He didn't know how the effects of the latest drug would attack because at present, his heart was racing in double time and his breath was coming in short, quick gasps. Steve had never been claustrophobic in his life; in his line of work, that would have been a quick career-ender. But now, in total darkness, _**inside**_ a bag, with no way out, he was panicked.

_Yeah, you're scared shitless, but think, man. You were trained for situations like this._

_Well… not exactly._

_Come on, think. Calm down and regulate your breathing. You __**are**__ trained to do that. By not panicking now, you can conserve your resources for later. _He could almost hear Joe White's voice drilling that bit of information into his head.

_Maybe Max will be at work early today. He's gotta figure out you're alive._

_How the hell's he going to do that, if what CrazyLady said was true?_

_Max will know. _

_He will. He'll just… know._

Steve felt the first changes in his heart rate when the fast beating became a flip-flop and his breath caught in his throat. Not exactly painful, but quite uncomfortable when the thudding beat of his heart slowed. He tried to take a deep breath and found that his ability to take in air was also diminished.

_Don't worry. Max will figure something out._

_What will he think? When he finds out? Will he call the team?_

That thought slammed into Steve and caused the panic to rise once again.

_My friends.__ What will they do? How the hell will they catch her? I can't even tell them who she is. I can't…_

_I can't even breathe…OK, that's uncomfortable._

_Slow down, McGarrett. You can do this. _

_It's your last chance._

_Literally._

The ambulance slowed, then swung around and he felt it backing up before stopping. Steve heard the doors open and felt someone jump inside.

"Hey, McGarrett," Chastity's voice was next to his head. "Let's say our goodbyes here, OK? But I have to come clean about something and let you know that I lied earlier. Yeah, sorry about that, but I've been thinking about your partner and how he deserves to suffer. That talk we had about his girlfriend and his kid, Grace? Just when he thinks he can't feel any worse, I'm gonna make sure they both die." She patted his chest. "Now, have a nice _**life**_."

_NO! CrazyLady, you leave Grace alone. I mean it! You're dead. _

Her voice got fainter and then Steve heard her say, "Boys, get him out of there and let's go home."

He felt the gurney slide from the back of the ambulance and felt the wheels drop before being wheeled up a ramp.

_OK, McGarrett. It's all up to you._

_You've got to get yourself out of this._

_Grace is depending on you. And Danny would kill you if anything happened to Gracie._

~~~H50~~~

Technician Dale Stringer worked the night shift at the Department of Medical Examiner. He heard the buzzer from the overhead door into the building and ignored it. Skyping with his girlfriend took priority over a dead body. As he told Janine, "they could cool their heels." She only laughed after he explained the "joke" to her. Dale never said she was bright. But he wasn't really interested in her brains.

The buzzer rang one more time. Persistently.

"OK, Janine, guess I'd better go. If you can get here before your shift starts, come on in. No one will be here until 7:30 or so."

"Bye, Baby. I'll see what I can do."

Janine had already planned this morning's visit to Dale before her morning shift at the diner across from the hospital. That was where they had first met, when he began his residency. She always scored when the new residents showed up for their rotations. Sometimes it was hard keeping all the names straight. Although, she held out hope that one of the _**real **_doctors would take notice of her. She preferred someone who had already finished school and was making actual money… money that she felt should support her in the manner she felt she was entitled. But, until that time, Dale was fun. To surprise him, in deference to the rainy weather, she planned to meet him this morning wearing her raincoat. And very little else.

~~~H50~~~

The buzzer sounded again just as Dale rolled up the door to find two men standing between a gurney.

"About damn time," the smaller one muttered as he thrust a clipboard into Dale's hands. "Just sign there."

"Yeah, yeah, hold your horses." He glanced over the form, pen in hand. "What's this about Dr. Bergman?"

"Don't know man, we just picked up the body on the beach. One of the cops said to make sure Max Bergman got it. That's all we know."

Dale sloppily signed his name. "Whatever. Bring 'im in."

The gurney was pushed into the holding room and the body was picked up and dropped onto another rolling table before the two techs pushed their gurney out the door. They left without another word and Dale slammed the door down behind them.

The technician pushed the gurney into a green-tiled room and kicked the brake into place. He unzipped the body bag and pushed it away from John Doe's shoulders and legs.

"OK, let's get a look at you. Hey! Cool tats. Although the bull's eye on your forehead is a bit overkill, don't ya think?"

_You're not Max. Where's Max?_

Dale reached for the camera and began snapping photos of the body, focusing in on the bull's eye and contusions on the vic's face before moving to photo the other bruises marring the body. He knew how persnickety Dr. Bergman could be, so Dale photographed everything. He also knew not to turn the body over as Max wanted to see everything first hand.

Dale had learned that lesson the hard way. He couldn't stand what he called Bergman's "whining", so it was just easier to do what the nerd wanted. He set aside the camera and began filling in the receiving checklist before grabbing a toe tag and writing the victim's name and case number on.

"Here you go, John Doe." He wrapped the string around his victim's toe and pulled it until taut.

_Oh, that's so not good._

Stringer tugged on the tag again to ensure that it wouldn't come off and heard someone coming down the hall. "Shit. Someone's here early and I've got to clean up the place."

_Hey! Go easy, that hurts._

Steve knew that Chastity had told him that touch would be painful, but until the guy yanked on his toe, he didn't realize exactly what she meant. It felt like his toe was coming detached.

Breathing was also becoming increasingly difficult and Steve tried to regulate it even more. Not only were his limbs paralyzed but the muscles were aching tremendously_. _

_Come on, Max. Get to work. Get me outta this._

Dale scrambled to throw away his take-out containers and log off his laptop before anyone saw the photos on it. Just as he finished, he heard a voice behind him.

"Hey, Baby."

He turned and discovered Janine wearing a raincoat, droplets of water soaking into its surface. As he watched, she slowly unfastened the belt, letting it fall away from her body.

Dale swallowed, and then smiled his appreciation. "Well, hel-lo!"

"Thought maybe we could have a party before I go to work," she told him, dropping her bag onto the floor. "It's kind of kinky having sex in the morgue."

Dale glanced at the clock on the wall. "Yeah, let me get rid of this and I'll be right with you."

_Get rid of? I don't think so._

Janine glanced at the body. "Leave 'im. It's kind of a turn on, knowing someone else is right here. Even though he can't see us. Hey… that guy looks kind of familiar. Who is he?"

"Dunno. Came in as a John Doe who washed up on the beach. Now… forget about him… come here…"

"Meet you in the refrigerator section," Janine said as she opened the door of one of the sliding cooler boxes.

_Oh, this is just gross. I swear, I'm reporting you… _

_Max, where the hell are you? _

_~~~H50~~~_

Steve wondered if he was blushing. That was just too much to handle. He couldn't turn off his brain, and what Crazylady had said was true, all his senses were heightened. And thank God his eyes were closed. _**Hearing**_ it was bad enough. Even though the weird couple had been on a slab in the cooler, the door was open and Steve had heard _**everything**_.

Thankfully the girl… whose name was Luscious Lips, Baby Doll, Sweetums or Janine… take your pick… had to get to work, so it was a quickie.

_Thank God for small favors. Come on, Max._

_~~~H50~~~_

With one last, long kiss, Dale pushed Janine out into the rain and hurried back to the morgue. He still had to clean everything up and get out of there before Mad Max showed up at eight. He gathered his laptop and shoved it into his backpack then checked the area. He placed the clipboard in the slot on the wall for Bergman to retrieve.

"OK, man, in the cooler you go. I'll let you use my personal favorite."

_Cooler? Oh, hell, no. Not after what just happened in there. _

Dale threw a sheet over the body and then straightened it. Another stupid rule of Bergman's. Respect the person. Don't just throw something over them. "Big deal, this guy won't care what the sheet looks like," he muttered.

Steve's gurney was pushed across the floor and he heard a door open and felt the cooler air. The gurney was lowered and then he was transferred onto a cold piece of metal which was shoved inside. He heard the door slam shut and immediately felt the air turn cooler.

_McGarrett, what kind of crap have you landed in this time? _

_~~~H50~~~_

Dale slammed the door and remembered that the temp in that box wasn't the normal 39 degrees. The MEs had repaired it again last week after he had adjusted it so that he and Janine wouldn't freeze onto the metal of the tray. Bergman would undoubtedly notice—the man noticed everything—but Dale knew it wouldn't come back on him. The coolers were off regularly and the MEs simply scratched their heads and called maintenance to recalibrate them. Little did they know that Janine wasn't the only one who thought doing it in a morgue was kinky. And Dale wasn't about to let anyone in on his secret. _**Or**_ the number of "friends" he had invited to join him over the past year. Besides, Bergman would be here long before John Doe got ripe, and seriously, they didn't pay him to take care of the equipment, so not his problem. Dale only worked on the equipment when it was beneficial to him. Who cared about the others.

"OK, I'm outta here."

~~~H50~~~

The temperature was getting cooler. Not frigid just yet, but in the uncomfortable range. _He had been in worse. Hours of training in the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia came to mind. And then there was that time in the Black Sea. Hyperthermia really isn't fun. Especially with a concussion and a broken arm. _

_You can do this. Max will be here soon._

He hoped.

_Because really, without Max he was toast._

_No, toast was warm. _

And right now, Steve was anything but warm. Even the sheet that covered all but his feet did little to hold in body heat. But, most people who landed in there didn't really need the warmth.

_Wait? What was that?_

_Music? Piano. That's gotta be Max. _

_OK, Bergman, cut the concert short and get to work._

A few minutes later, he heard the door of the cooler open and heard Max's "hmmm".

_Finally. Come on, Max, get me out of here._

Max left the room. And Steve heard his steps down the hall…

_Well, crap._

Soon, Max returned, muttering to himself. The tray was slid out of the cooler and even the air conditioned room felt warm after being inside the fridge. He was moved once again and put back onto another frigid, metal table.

_Is anything in here warm? Come on Max, get rid of the sheet and figure out what's going on. Tick tock, breathing isn't the easiest thing to do right now._

_What the-? Leave my feet alone and __**take off this sheet**__!_

Max began to dictate and Steve waited quite impatiently, hoping that sometime soon Max would forget his feet and legs and move upward._ Maybe like, to his __**face**__. _

_Hang on. Aw Max, this is embarrassing. You couldn't at least leave me the boardies? _

One thing Steve could say about Dr. Bergman. He was damned thorough. And all the poking and prodding was quite painful. He knew Max's normal patients probably didn't mind, but they were a whole lot deader than he was.

_Although he was well on his way…_

Steve knew the moment Max realized who he was. He had already examined his stomach, but then went back to it, touching the scar the ME had bandaged a year or so ago.

And then, finally, Max pulled off the sheet.

Something hit the floor.

And Max was silent, before quickly moving out of the room.

_Max? Come on, man, come back._

_Please._

_~~~H50~~~ _

Steve tried to calm down and be patient. He knew Max hadn't gone far. But it was several minutes before he heard voices again.

_Danny._

_Aw, hell._

_His team._

_Kono was choking back sobs. _

_Danny and Chin were vowing to get even. With someone they didn't even know._

_Guys, not dead here. You're detectives. Detect. Not dead. _

_Instead of looking at __**him**__ they were intent on learning all the details._

_OK, they were thorough. He had to give them points for that._

_But really? And Max… Kono is here! You better keep that sheet right where it is._

_Wait? What? Liver temp? Oh, I so don't think so, Max. _

Steve felt another painful jerk of his heart and knew that the beats were slowing even more. As for breathing, that was pretty much non-existent. And he knew there was little time left at all.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. And the touch hurt. Like painful hurt.

But he had to admit, it felt good. And he knew it was Danny even before the man spoke.

The hand moved down to his arm.

_Yes! Come on Danny._

He heard when Danny asked Max how his body could be warm.

_Finally!_

_~~~H50~~~_


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: One week until Season 3 Premiere! If you are like me, I'm sure you can't wait. Unfortunately, I will be on vacation and may or may not be able to watch... some vacation! :) But, for that reason, I may not be able to post chapter 6 next Monday since I don't know what type of computer service I will have. Rest assured, there is more to come. Also, thanks so much for the wonderful reviews and I would like to thank those of you who I can't reply to via Fanfic. For the others, I hope I haven't missed anyone... if so, thanks!

"_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 5**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

_**Danny removed his hand, then placed it on Steve's arm, staring at the still body. "Max?" he asked in a quizzical tone.**_

"_**Yes, Detective."**_

"_**Didn't you say you got the body from the freezer?"**_

"_**Well, no, actually it is a cooler. Unfortunately that is another thing Mr. Stringer did not record. This particular cooler wasn't working properly and the temperature was approximately 54 degrees Fahrenheit." **_

"_**OK, if he was in a cooler, how come Steve's body is warm?"**_

~~~H50~~~

Max glanced at Danny and barely shook his head, saying, "That's not possible," while reaching out to touch Steve's bare arm. A look of barely contained panic crossed the ME's face when his hand immediately jerked up to feel for a pulse in Steve's neck.

"No pulse," he said, his confusion showing in his voice as he kept his hand on the side of Steve's neck. "But… I do detect warmth."

The doctor raised Steve's eyelid and peered into his eye. He then reached for the large light hanging over the autopsy table and shined it into Steve's face. Max gently closed the eyelid and pushed the light back into place.

"His pupils reacted to light." The ME realized the implications and quickly went into full doctor mode. "Chin! 911, NOW."

_About damn time. But don't do that light again._

Chin whipped out his phone to call while they watched Max run into the next room.

Danny managed to realize what had been said and called after him, "Whoa, what? Max?!"

The ME quickly returned pulling a wheeled, red cart behind him. He opened it up, saying, "I don't understand…" He pulled out a disposable Ambu Bag and placed it over Steve's mouth and nose, then secured the strap behind his head. While doing so, he glanced at Kono, saying, "Hold this tight against his face. Danny, take the bag and pump. Not fast, but firm and steady."

_Finally. Thank you._

They each jumped in and began working while Max opened another drawer on the cart, pulling out a stethoscope.

"So…" Danny began pumping. "He _**is**_ alive?" he asked, afraid to believe after the shock they had received that morning.

"Quiet!" Max uncharacteristically ordered, trying to pick up a heartbeat before stepping back. "Chin, did they give you an ETA?"

"Seven to ten minutes tops."

"But he's alive?" Danny asked once again, his voice louder this time.

_Yes, Danno._

"I believe I detected a blip," the ME admitted, while placing the stethoscope on Steve's chest again, trying to confirm that fact. "But it is very faint. Continue with the oxygen."

"What can I do?" Chin asked, moving to the head of the table and staring at the bull's eye on his boss' forehead.

"Open the doors before the ambulance arrives to save them time."

"I will," Chin replied, closely checking the bull's eye. "Give me a minute." He took out his cell phone and focused it close on Steve's forehead before snapping the shot.

"Our technician should have photos of everything for his intake procedures," Max told him.

"That's good," Chin replied while concentrating on sending a text. "But I think we've got a print in this blood. I'm sending it to Fong and see if he can get a hit on it. How's he doing? Are we looking at poison, or what?" He looked at the efforts they were using while forcing air into Steve's body.

_Yeah,Chin...and lots of it. She's crazy._

"While I cannot ascertain that without further knowledge," the ME replied, continuing to pull out the contents of the emergency crash cart, "poisoning would be my first assumption. I am picking up a very faint heartbeat, but it appears he doesn't have the ability to breathe on his own." He unwrapped a tube to insert down Steve's throat. "Kono, loosen that strap around his head. Danny, could you please continue to pump the bag until I say otherwise. I need to intubate."

_No tubes, Max. Come on, please, man. The bag is good, I swear._

Max handed Kono another bag that was connected to a mouthpiece. "When you quit bagging him, remove the mask and we will begin using this one. But first, I need to check his mouth and throat, so please step back for a moment."

Max forced Steve's jaws open and checked his mouth with the penlight. "Ah! What's this?"

Surprised at what he found, Max reached for tweezers and removed the folded paper, holding it up for them to see. "Begin bagging again, please." Max placed the paper inside a clear, plastic evidence bag and handed it to Chin.

"Interesting," Chin remarked, holding up the baggie. "Any idea what this is?"

"Something that does not belong in my patient's mouth," Max calmly replied.

"Take care of him," Chin told all of them. "I'm going to go get the doors open."

"Of course," Max murmured, readying the breathing apparatus. "I must admit, I have not inserted an airway since residency. But here goes."

_Max, let's rethink this…_

"Now, if you would please remove the mask." Gripping Steve's jaws once again, he quickly got the tube inserted the first time. "And now the bag," he reached for it and had it attached to the mouthpiece, nodding for Danny to resume bagging.

The ME reached again for the stethoscope and listened to Steve's chest before standing up and wrapping the instrument around his neck. "That's better."

_No, not better! You're s'posed to be helping… not killing me. _

Steve silently gagged against the hard plastic that had been rammed down his throat. Even with the welcome addition of air, that didn't remove the pain of the plastic scraping against his airway or the feeling that he was being suffocated.

Max turned on the flashlight once again and shined it into Steve's eye, moved it away, only to repeat the process.

_Damn it, Max, you gotta stop that!_

Max checked the other eye before turning off the light. He placed the pen into his pocket, and stood back up. "I… I can't believe it," he murmured.

"Max, what's wrong?" Kono asked, continuing to keep her palm on Steve's face while Danny bagged him.

"Not only is he alive," Max said, looking up to stare at them, a look of unease on his face. In a quiet voice, he admitted, "but I believe he is also conscious." Not able to believe that fact, he reached for the light again and turned it on for another check.

_Aahhh! Enough with the light, Max. Now stop beating up on me and __**fix**__ this!_

"What?" Danny yelled, his voice coming out more of a squeak. "No!" He kept bagging, but leaned in to talk to his partner.

"Steve!" Danny called to him. "Steve, can you hear me? Hey, Buddy, we got you. It's gonna be all right. We've got you."

_Yeah, I know, Danny. I'm here… you don't have to yell._

Kono leaned down next to his ear. "You're good, Boss, we'll take care of you. Just trust us."

_I do. Just get me out of this!_

"The doors are open and I instructed an intern to stay there until the crew arrives," Chin reported. "They are close, I could hear the siren."

"His body temperature has risen significantly since he's been out of the cooler," Max paused and showed them the reading of the ear thermometer. Max looked back at his "patient". "I fear this could have had a much more tragic outcome had I not called you."

_Don't beat yourself up, Max. I need you._

Before they could comment, a rolling stretcher along with three EMS technicians filed into the room and were filled in on the unbelievable tale.

~~~H50~~~

Steve had a panicked feeling of déjà vu after being transferred to a gurney. It was difficult for him to listen to all the different voices speaking over each other while Max was filling in the techs about his condition. What he did know was that what they were doing hurt like all hell and there was nothing he could do about it. Someone cleansed his arm with alcohol and then snapped a rubber band in place and he wanted to scream in agony from the band, so he knew the accompanying needle prick for the IV would be absolutely unbearable.

And he was right.

So when the pain became too much to bear, he began cursing in six different languages, running every word he knew through his head. It didn't help with the pain, but it did help distract him from what they were doing. And before he knew it, he was being loaded into an ambulance for the second time that morning.

Everyone had followed the gurney to the vehicle and Danny turned to Chin, saying, "I'm going with him," before being silenced by Max.

"No, Detective. I am going with Steve. You can meet us at the hospital."

Danny opened his mouth to complain as Max jumped into the back of the vehicle. "I'm sorry," Max said, holding up his hand to stop him. "I insist." He then reached for one of the doors and closed it while the driver slammed the other door shut.

Chin grabbed Danny's shoulder. "Come on, Brah, let's go."

"But…"

"Danny!" Kono told him. "Let's go."

He was still in shock at Max's usurping of his authority, but he turned and ran toward Chin's Traverse.

Actually, when he thought about it, his shock didn't come from Max, but at the fact that in a span of mere minutes, he had to process that Steve was dead and before he could comprehend that, Steve was again alive, and not only that, he was conscious, trapped inside his body. So, when he jumped into Chin's passenger seat, Max was the last thing on his mind.

~~~H50~~~

Max bagged Steve while the tech attached leads to his chest and set up the portable EKG.

"Steve," the doctor spoke to him, "I am very perplexed by the lack of life signs. And I must apologize for not noticing that your body had not grown cold. I am most grateful that I decided to recuse myself from your case before I… well, before something irreparable happened."

_Me, too, Max, but… don't feel so good._

"Dr. Bergman," the technician told him, "BP is bottoming out and heart rate is almost non-existent."

"What is our ETA?" Max asked.

The technician thumbed the mike to reach the driver. "Hey, Carl, what's our status?"

"Gonna try to cut over and get on Lusitana. Looks like a gridlock ahead on Punchbowl."

Dr. Bergman sighed. "Can he step on it?" He looked down at his patient and checked his eyes once again, continuing to get a sluggish reaction. "Steve, bear with us. I know the tube hurts, but until we confirm what is in your system, we cannot give you anything to make you more comfortable."

Steve knew that Max was speaking to him, but the grayness that had been hovering around the edges of his consciousness took control and sound began to fade into nothingness.

_Max… Grace… pleas…_

"Doc, I'm getting zip."

"Then do everything possible to get us to that hospital," Max ordered. "And get the paddles ready."

~~~H50~~~


	6. Chapter 6

_**Hello all! I know I said I probably wouldn't post this week, but I've got a couple of chapters ahead, so I thought I would go ahead and post a chapter before I leave for vacation. I decided not to leave Steve and everyone else waiting for two weeks. :) I hope you enjoy and hope everyone has a blast tomorrow night... at least the ones lucky enough to see the premiere tomorrow. **_

_**Mahalo to all... and Aloha! See you next week. I'm off for (hopefully) sunny Florida for a few days.**_

'**_Emo 'ole Make loa_**

_**Chapter 6**_

Steve entered the emergency room on a gurney pushed by one of the two emergency technicians while Dr. Max Bergman sat on top of him, doing chest compressions. The second tech was still working the ambu-bag. A nurse glanced up at their unorthodox arrival and raced around the glassed-in office area telling them, "Trauma Room Two", moving ahead to secure the way. Dr. Don Makani scribbled his name onto a chart and glanced up as they rushed by. The first thing that caught his attention was the toe tag on the patient's foot. He dropped the chart onto the counter and raced after the gurney. "What do we have?" he asked, squeezing into the room just behind the entourage.

The lead technician, Jerry, glanced up at the doctor and stated, "Brought to the morgue DOA, but he's alive. This is Dr. Max Bergman, I'll let him fill you in."

A nurse took over the compressions while Max climbed down from the gurney. Another nurse quickly attached the vent tube to the oxygen supply.

"Epi, 1 mg," Dr. Makani ordered as yet another nurse began attaching the leads on Steve's chest to the EKG machine. "Get the paddles ready," the doctor ordered. He glanced at his patient's face and realized he recognized him. "This is Commander McGarrett!"

Max moved to the doctor's side. "Yes, it is."

"Clear," the intern announced to the room in general and pressed the paddles to Steve's side and chest. Almost as if it were orchestrated, the flat line on the screen began jumping in a cautious green blip across the monitor. The doctor then began barking orders.

Max breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at the EMS techs who were standing in the doorway waiting to see the their patient's outcome. Before leaving the hospital, learning that you delivered a live patient makes the job much more worthwhile.

"OK, what do we have?" Makani asked Dr. Bergman. "Unfortunately, I've treated the commander before."

"Probable poisoning; unknown origin," Max replied.

The emergency room physician held up his hand and interrupted him with orders to his assistants, "Along with everything else, make sure you have a full tox screen, STAT. Check for everything. Continue, doctor."

Max nodded. "Total paralysis, was in respiratory distress." Max grabbed his penlight from his pocket and raised Steve's eyelid, checking for consciousness. He lowered the lid and then shook his head. "Until his heart gave out, he was conscious."

"Seriously?"

"Undoubtedly. I intubated in the morgue and then we got him here."

While they were talking, there was a frenzy of activity as nurses and technicians scurried around the gurney, drawing numerous tubes of blood, inserting a Foley and an additional IV line, closely watching their patient, and listening to every weak blip of the heart monitor.

~~~H50~~~

Danny, Chin and Kono raced into the ER shortly after the ambulance, which was still backed up to the entrance doors. They entered the crowded ER and looked around for someone to talk to. Danny began to move behind the glass enclosed counter to find out where Steve was, when Chin placed his hand on the detective's shoulder.

"Go easy, Brah. No need to cause a riot."

Danny glanced at his friend and let out a breath. "You're right. But I need to talk to someone." He looked up to see the EMS personnel heading out to the ambulance. "Hey!"

Jerry shook his head. "He's alive. Coded as we were pulling in, but they got him back quickly. I don't know, man, but keep us posted."

"Yeah, thanks," Danny told him, then looked at Chin, their worry showing on their faces.

"Hey, guys," Chin called to them and then met them when they turned back. "Until we know what's going on, mind if we keep this low key? No press?"

"Sure thing. Hope you find the guy who did this."

"We will," Chin assured him.

Danny nodded when Chin turned back to them. "Good thinking."

"Ma'am," Kono stopped a nurse. "Commander McGarrett was just brought in by that ambulance," she nodded her head toward the door. "Could you tell me where he is?"

The nurse looked kindly at them and ushered them toward the waiting area down the hallway. "He is in one of the trauma rooms and they are working on him now. The doctor will come see you just as quickly as he can."

Before they realized it, she had quietly and efficiently put them on the other side of the waiting room doors. "If I hear anything, I will come and talk to you," she promised, giving them a smile.

The trio stared at each other, wondering how that had happened. "Damn, she's good," Danny admitted.

"Yeah," Kono agreed. "There have been times we could have used her."

Chin looked over the crowded room filled with anxious people and managed to find an empty corner, where he dropped into an ugly, purple chair. "So, I guess we wait."

"And work," Kono said, following and sitting down next to him. "Come on, Danny, let's go over what we know. First off, where's that note?"

Danny took a seat on the other side of Chin so that he could see them both while Chin pulled the plastic bag from his pocket. "That is a very good question…" Chin handed the baggie to Danny who tried unsuccessfully to open the folded note while it remained in the bag.

Kono pulled a black rubber glove from her pants pocket. "Here," she told him. "Always prepared. These are small gloves; want me to do it?"

Danny and his fumbling fingers gave up and handed the bag to her. "Yeah, please."

She quickly had the note out and spread it open, reading quietly to them,

_"Losing a partner really sucks, doesn't it?_

_ I lost mine; you lost yours…_

_ I guess payback really is a bitch… _

No signature," she ended and looked up at the men to gauge their reactions.

Danny looked at the note and then to his two colleagues. "Whatever this is, it's for me," he said quietly. "They planned to kill Steve for something I did."

"You don't know that for cer—"

"Read the note, Chin! Steve is _**my**_ partner," Danny hissed, wanting to scream, but needing to keep his voice low enough so as not to alarm the other visitors. "It's payback."

"OK, maybe it is," Chin reasoned. "But given a little time, we can figure this out. And if we are in luck, we will get a print."

Danny stood and ran his hand through his hair. "If you haven't noticed, Steve may not have that much time, Chin."

"But Danny, we aren't the ones in there trying to save him, are we? Our job is to figure out who did it," Kono reminded him. "And that is what Steve would expect us to do."

"Yeah, you're right." Danny deflated and added, "Once we know what's going on here, we can get to work and start going through the files."

"And we can check back with Fong," Chin reminded his friends. "Hopefully he'll have something soon."

Danny plopped back down in his chair. "Yeah. Let's hope they tell us something soon. OK," he thought, blowing out a breath of air. "Kono, we need additional manpower down here; please call Duke. Wherever Steve goes, someone goes with him. If this person finds out he's still alive, they may try again."

Kono stood and took her phone from her pocket. "Got it. Anything else?"

"Yeah, we need to get in touch with the night guy at the morgue," Chin said. "Didn't Max say his name was 'Dale'?"

"Yeah," she replied. "Hopefully we can get details when Max comes out. He was pretty shook up, you know?"

"Ain't we all," Danny mumbled, then added, "But Max really handled it like a pro. Gotta give the man credit, he jumped in and took charge."

"That he did," Chin added. "Somehow this plan totally unraveled, so thank goodness you realized he was alive and that Max had the equipment to revive him."

"Man, just seeing him there, you know…" Danny's voice trailed off.

"Yeah, Brah," Kono added, patting his knee, reassuringly. "We know. But at least now, Steve's got a chance. I'm just glad Max called us when he did."

Danny glanced at the clock. "Wonder how long it's gonna take before they tell us something?"

They asked that question repeatedly over the next hour and a half before the double doors opened and a physician's assistant in bright pink scrubs asked for them to follow her.

~~~H50~~~

Danny immediately stood, followed by Chin and Kono.

"This way, please," the PA informed them, holding open the door. "Dr. Makani would like to speak with you in the conference room."

"Makani?" Danny asked, glancing at Chin and Kono. "He's the one who helped Steve a few months back, right?"

"Yeah," Chin muttered. "And if I recall, the doc was none too happy with our fearless leader after that. Hope he doesn't carry a grudge."

The PA opened the door to an empty room and grinned after overhearing Chin's remark. Dr. Makani had mentioned that he and his patient had a 'history' and she had wondered how they knew each other. "Please have a seat. The doctor will be with you shortly."

Chin and Kono sat in chairs around the small, round conference table. Danny chose to lean against the wall, his head bowed and his arms crossed. He looked up when the door opened and Dr. Makani entered, his hands full of papers.

The doctor offered them a rueful smile as he dropped into a chair at the rou, saying, "Well, we meet again," as he dropped into a chair around the table." He pulled out the fourth chair, saying, "Danny, at least get comfortable, this might take a while."

The detective sat, waiting for the doctor to speak. "OK, I'm sitting…"

The doctor dropped the papers onto the table. "Don't worry, I'll get to the point, Detective. He's alive. And that is thanks entirely to your friend, Dr. Bergman, who managed to establish an airway early on and keep him alive until the ambulance arrived at the hospital. That in itself is pretty much a miracle." He looked at each of them, letting that fact sink in.

"Kind of feel like the other shoe is about to drop," Danny told him.

Makani nodded. "And it's a big shoe," he admitted, reaching again for the papers before him. "I'm not going to lie to you…" he shook his head, adding, "we don't have a clue how this will play out. As you suspected, Steve was poisoned – methodically, I might add, and until we sort through all the various drugs and toxins he was given, we won't know his chances. Even though he is alive, his condition is critical. Our job for the immediate future is to handle each crisis as it happens. At present, that job is working to keep his blood pressure stabilized. We have assembled the best team we have and they are all working, getting him moved into the critical care unit."

"Where's Max?" Kono asked.

The doctor smiled. "Max will not leave Steve's side. I'll explain that later, but right now, let's say they are inseparable."

"Good," Chin acknowledged. "Now, about that shoe…"

Makani sighed and balanced his chair on its two back legs. "We drew numerous vials of blood and every one of them is in use while we try to figure out what Steve has been injected with. We immediately pulled in our Pharmacology and Toxicology Departments who have people and researching with the CDC and other institutions for antidotes and interactions. We discovered four separate injection sites and at present, we have managed to catalogue eleven different substances in his system. Overdoses of any of them can cause alarm, but all of them together are lethal. And they are still running tests; who knows how many more toxins or drugs he was subjected to."

Danny picked up on one word. _Lethal_. "You said lethal… what—"

The doctor dropped his chair back onto its four legs and removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes. "Danny… bottom line is that we have no prognosis," he admitted. "We are flushing his body with fluids, hoping to get as much out of his system as possible. And we are treating symptoms as they are presented. Right now, until we get the full tox-screen, that's about all we can do. As I said, his condition is critical."

They stared at him, while his words registered.

When they didn't speak, the doctor continued, "And there is another concern, and this is why Max is with Steve. As you know, Steve was still conscious in the morgue when you realized he was alive. He lost consciousness in the ambulance, but after he was stabilized in the ER, he awoke again."

"Wait," Kono interjected, realization sinking in. "All this is happening and he's still awake? And he can't move… that's got to be horrible. Can you tell if he goes to sleep?"

"Yes," the doctor nodded. "We have him hooked to an EEG; the brain waves show when he is conscious. And if he falls asleep, we will be able to tell that, too." The doctor looked at each member of the team, giving them a moment to process, before continuing. "The EEG also tells us when he feels pain… which, unfortunately, is whenever we touch him."

"He knows what's going on and he's in pain…" Danny's voice trailed off and he planted his hands on the table, ready to stand. "We need to be with him."

"Not just yet." He held up his hand, adding, "Steve's being moved right now. And Max is there."

"There's more, isn't there?" Chin asked, accurately reading the doctor's face.

Dr. Makani picked up the papers he brought with him. "Some of the things we have found in his system are curare, a couple of stimulants… uppers, in lay-terms, some natural toxins, a highly-poisonous jellyfish venom, a trace of spider venom, a couple of highly-illegal drugs that can cause euphoria and pain at the same time, and, another substance they are working on right now." He placed his elbows on the table. "Now, let me lay it all out. Steve is conscious, which is extremely uncomfortable while on a ventilator, totally paralyzed, on a drug-induced high… no telling what he's experiencing, possibly hallucinations, delusions, there's no telling at this point." He stopped for a breath.

A knock at the door interrupted and he called, "come in." A lab tech opened the door and handed another set of papers to him, then stepped back out. At the same time, the doctor's phone rang and he answered, listening to the caller, before saying thanks and signing off.

The doctor put his phone back into his pocket and glanced over the end result of the data and shook his head. "Whoever this is, he did his homework. The call was from our head tox guy. There is a viper venom in his bloodstream. Our guys are trying to research it, but, believe it or not, vipers have different venoms and finding the right antivenom is necessary before we can begin treatment. They just placed a call to a manufacturer of antivenom located in Hanoi."

Danny leaned back into his chair. "So…" he waved his hand in the air. "Venoms. Toxins. Drugs. What next? What can be done?"

Makani sighed. "Like I said, we treat the symptoms. Unfortunately, we don't know what how his body will react when we introduce new drugs into his system to combat what he has been given. Trying to save him, we may create another overdose or a drug interaction. Right now, all of this is a guessing game. Now, all that is background to what I really need to discuss with you."

"There's more?" Kono asked, leaning forward and placing her head in her open palms, elbows on the table.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Listen, I know it is a lot to take in. But remember I said the drugs cause euphoria and pain?" At their nods, he continued, "Steve's entire system is breaking down due to these substances. Touch is painful. Touch also causes bruising, so you can imagine the bruises we have caused, just in the last couple of hours. I have to tell you, it looks like he's been beaten to a pulp. And that's just from the damage _we've_ done."

"So you're not giving him anything for the pain?" Chin asked.

"His system is overloading. We need to induce a coma," Makani replied. "But first," he paused, staring at them once again, "First I wanted to give you the opportunity to… talk to him."

Danny shot up from his chair. "I am _**not**_ listening to this. No. You are asking us to say goodbye."

The doctor nodded. "If this goes south… and I need to warn you that it may at any moment, with absolutely no warning at all…" Makani paused, "while the idea is not a pleasant one, I'm sure you would feel much better by talking to him."

Danny huffed. "Feel better? You have got to be freakin' kidding me. No, I won't feel better!"

Kono stood and moved to his side. "Danny, he needs us. He's awake. And hurting. This is Steve… think what this is like for him… what's going on inside his head."

Chin remained seated and stared Makani in the eye. "What are his odds on this?"

Makani breathed out and mumbled, shaking his head. "You don't want to know. But we have to do something soon to give him some relief. If I were you, I would let him know you were here for him." He stood and rubbed a hand through his short hair. "I honestly don't know what else to do."

~~~H50~~~

Time really had no meaning, but Steve had come to a short time earlier. Muted sounds had played with the edges of his mind and he floated, not caring where he was until he was suddenly thrust into immediate awareness by intense pain...

... to be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry this is so late. This is my first day back at work and I was a total sluggard and came in after lunch. :) I know I haven't sent out any thank you's from the last chapter and I apologize. I promise that I'll get back to you when I get back into a routine. By the way, Florida had crystal clear water and beautiful blue skies with not a cloud in sight. It was a perfect week to be down there!**_

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 7**_

Time really had no meaning, but Steve had come to sometime earlier. Muted sounds had played with the edges of his mind and he floated, not caring where he was until he was suddenly thrust into awareness by intense pain. Both of his arms were grabbed and scrubbed raw before needles were inserted into them; he could _feel_ the blood leaving his body, filling vial after vial, even if he couldn't see it. A vial would fill, they would rip it out, which tugged on the needle inside him and another vial was plunged into the port, only to fill again. He could hear Max's voice, loudly at times, then as if he were in a tunnel. Other voices chimed in, and Steve remembered being in the morgue. And he knew…

_No, Max, stop! Please stop! I'm not dead. Leave the blood… please don't do this…_

He knew when they gave up, no longer draining his blood. The needles remained inside him and he could feel them, knew their placements inside his veins. He knew he couldn't move, but was fearful that the needles would move on their own, upward through his veins, tormenting him… Other needles were allowing liquid to enter his body. He could feel each drip as it left the point of the needle and was released into his bloodstream, meandering throughout his body, flowing along with his blood. He tracked each drip as they traveled along their path, leaving pain behind wherever they traveled.

Upon awakening, Steve's world had turned into a bizarre nightmare which had been contrived in his overly-drugged mind. He couldn't see what was really occurring, but his drug-induced imagination was in overdrive, heightened by the very real sounds in the emergency room.

Whatever was in his throat was hard, pressing his tongue down and forcing his neck into an awkward position. He could feel the ridges lining his throat as it pressed against them, bruising them as they swelled against the tube. He wanted to gag, but couldn't, wanted to breathe, but even that sensation was denied him.

Steve felt people rustling back and forth, heard the clang of instruments; metal on metal. They were grabbing his head; his hair, stabbing him. Over and over, all over his head, and then they poked each cheek before stopping. Their voices were loud, right in his face, but he couldn't register what they were talking about. They all talked over each other, back and forth and he struggled to catch what they were saying.

"Bottoming out… Overdose… Toxin… Jelly fish?... Venom."

"It's a mess."

_They were laughing at him. The idiot doesn't even know that he's dead. _

_No… I'm not dead. Please. Headache. Bad. Somebody please listen to me!_

"Alpha and Beta waves. Look."

"Awake."

"Conscious."

As Steve tried to understand the voices, they suddenly silenced into whispers. Finally one voice became more distinct to him. And the person was talking to _**him**_, not about him.

_Max!_

"Steve, it's Max. You're in the hospital. Try to relax and everything should be all right. Everyone is working to get you well, so be patient and relax just a while longer."

_Hurts, Max. Bad._

"I know it is uncomfortable, Steve. Please hang on."

_Did I say that out loud? No, tube crammed down my throat. Just… help me, Max._

From that moment on, the ER became a quiet, serious place. Before anyone touched him, Max explained what was going to happen. Nurses apologized before sticking or poking him with needles. And then he vaguely recognized another voice.

"Steve, it's Dr. Makani. Remember me?" the voice asked.

_He did remember. Had a headache then, too. Couldn't remember why… didn't matter, it just hurt. _Steve forced his wandering mind back to the present, trying to follow the doctor's voice.

"… better soon… then move… few minutes. Friends… sleep. Go… now."

_No, wait. What? I can't sleep. Something for… Danny. What? I need to talk to Danny__._

"Steve, they are ready to move you now. Just relax."

_Max? Move… where? Wait, oh, wait, please slow down._

What seemed like hours later, Steve realized the 'bed' he was on had finally stopped moving. Thankfully. With the first push of the bed, he had felt like he was diving off a cliff backwards. And that was a feeling he had pulled from his memory vault of "things never to try again". At age 13, what he had assumed would have been a fun experience was quickly over long before they had put twelve stitches into the back of his head. You only tried something like that once and remembered it forever.

Steve also realized that, for the last little while, no one had even touched him. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but at least it didn't feel like he was being pulled limb from limb. He couldn't hear him at the moment, but he knew that Max was nearby, still watching out for him.

And in spite of everything, that feeling gave him hope.

~~~H50~~~

Max was there; seated on a rolling-stool at the head of Steve's gurney and he planned to remain there for the foreseeable future. He had remained by his side through the hallways from the ER into the ICU, continually watching the monitors attached to a pole above the gurney, searching for any change in his friend's condition. They were now in a room, alone for the moment. The doctors had decided, rightfully so, Max felt, to leave Steve on the rolling gurney instead of transferring him into a bed until the man was unconscious. Max had watched Steve's brain waves while they were touching him, drawing blood or inserting meds and knew that any stimuli was painful to his friend. There was no need to cause more undue pain.

"Steve, we are now in ICU. They are working diligently on antidotes to counteract the drugs in your system, so they will be making changes to your IVs. When you wake up, I assure that you will feel better." Max was going on the assumption that (a) Steve would wake up and (b) that they could find the right combination of antidotes to save him. Steve had been delivered to Max's morgue that morning, but until they knew who was behind this, Max wouldn't know why he had been brought there. But Max took responsibility very seriously and he wasn't leaving Steve's side until they kicked him out. Glancing at the waves on the EEG, he noted Steve's distress and added. "Don't worry, Steve, everything is fine."

_Don't let them knock me out. Please. Have to talk to Danny. Can't remember why, but it's important. Max, no drugs. Promise… no drugs._

"Oh, look!" Max exclaimed. "Dr. Makani has returned with your team. Just a moment, Steve, and I will get them."

_Danny! Max, get Danny._

~~~H50~~~

Max walked out of the room and stood before Steve's team members, watching their eyes as they stared through the glass wall.

"Any questions?" Makani asked them.

"Why isn't he in a bed?" Kono asked.

Max replied, "They felt it would be best to wait until Steve was unconscious before moving him to prevent further pain."

Chin looked at both doctors for final clarification. "And you think knocking him out will be the best thing in the long run?"

Makani hesitated, and then shrugged. "I can't say it's the 'best' solution, but for right now, it is the better solution for Steve. His body is stressed and he needs relief. He's beginning to run a fever due to all the drugs in his system. We are flooding him with fluids in hopes of flushing the drugs out with minimal damage. Again, we will treat symptoms as they occur. I know that within the next few hours, if nothing changes for the better, we will need to begin dialysis. That is a given. And the antidotes would place unnecessary stress on him if he was awake. So, right now, I think it is the only option."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree," Max added. "Steve's body will be able to rest and that may help in his recovery from the drugs."

"But this… can you keep him asleep long enough for the antidotes to work and then wake him up?" Kono asked, hoping for miracles.

"We'll do our best," Makani replied. "But this isn't a solution. It is only a Band Aid while we work to try and find the cure… or cures, as the case may be. Now, do you want to go in?"

"How long do we have?" Chin asked.

Makani looked at the ME. "Max, why don't you stay with Steve and monitor him? We'll get everything set up and ready." Then he nodded to the team. "You can take as long as you need, but bear in mind that Steve needs relief. Soon. So, the briefer you are, the better it is for him.

~~~H50~~~

Steve heard the squeak of the chair as Max sat back down. "Good news, Steve, the doctor has allowed your team to visit…"

Steve listened to his friends' voices and could detect an underlying fear in their strained tones, despite the upbeat words they were speaking.

And then it hit him.

He had been on _their _side of a situation like this too many times not to recognize it. They were telling him goodbye. Not by their words, but by what they weren't saying. In his Naval career he had held the bodies of too many young men as their blood spilled onto the hard ground. Outwardly, he told them that everything was going to be fine when inside he was screaming, begging and pleading with them not to die.

And now that's what his friends were saying to him, knowing he was dying.

_Dying._

Steve wasn't ready to die. On the boat he really thought it was going to happen, but then—

Memories began to flood his thoughts.

_The boat. _

_Fight._

_Needles.  
_

_Chastity!_

What had happened to him finally became clear again. She had targeted him because Danny had killed her husband. And the crazy woman had said she would kill Grace.

_Grace! _

_Danny! Man, I __**have**__ to talk to you. Please._ _I can't…_

~~~H50~~~

Ten minutes later, the doctor returned along with a nurse pushing a rolling tray loaded with vials and syringes. He had watched the team while they talked to Steve, seeing the expressions on their faces even though he couldn't hear their words. After a few minutes, Danny had motioned to him through the glass wall, indicating that they had said all that they could say. He could see relief mingled with the fear on their faces when he spoke.

"Steve, it's Don Makani again. We're going to give you something now that will help you sleep, OK? With all the drugs in your system, your body is working overtime and we want to slow you down a bit before we start giving you the antidotes. Don't worry, we'll bring you out of it just as soon as the antidotes begin their work, all right?"

_No! Have to tell Danny about Grace. Don't…_

"OK, Steve, the doc's gonna fix you," Danny told him, leaning in close to him. "Don't worry, one of us will be with you all the time, I swear." He looked at Makani and dared the doctor to disagree with him. "We're going to get the person who did this, so you don't worry…" He glanced at Chin whose phone had just dinged.

Kono leaned down and gently touched Steve's bare shoulder with her fingers. "Boss, don't worry, we got your back."

Chin put his phone back in his pocket. "That was Fong," he said with excitement while moving closer to the gurney. "Steve, good news. We have a print. It's a woman named Michelle Farris. And I promise you, we're going to get her."

_Michelle? No…_

_That's wrong. Not Michelle. _

_Chastity. Her name is Chastity._

_Be careful, Chin._

Makani uncapped the syringe and placed it into the port on the IV tubing. "Steve, just relax. I'm going to start the drug now."

_No, wait! Danny… Danny, get to Grace. She wants to hurt… Grac… ie. _

_~~~H50~~~_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sorry this is being posted so late in the day... it's been a busy one! Again, thanks to everyone who has reviewed. Your comments are very humbling.**_

_**~~~H50~~~  
**_

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 8**_

_**No, wait! Danny… Danny, get to Grace. She wants to hurt… Grac… ie. **_

_~~~H50~~~_

The doctors both watched the EEG waves while the team stared at Steve's face, waiting in silence. Mere seconds later, Dr. Makani said, "He's under."

When they looked up, Max pointed to the lines he was watching on the EEG. "These two top lines are alpha and beta; they are active when a person is awake. The two down here," he pointed again, "are delta and theta and designate when a person is generally unconscious or asleep. As you can see, alpha and beta that were showing before are now basically inactive."

"And he's not in any pain?" Danny asked.

"He's unconscious," the Dr. Makani attempted to explain. "Some people claim that they remember what happened when they were under, some said they felt pain, others could hear, but most simply sleep. So, my answer is, 'I don't know'. What I do know is that we will do everything within our power to keep him as comfortable as possible." He reached for one of the vials and picked it up. "This is the antidote for the jellyfish venom, so we are trying it first. Dr. Hanson from Toxicology will be here soon to begin the injections. The antidote for the spider venom is coming from the Big Island; that will be here within a couple of hours. We'll have to wait and see if these will show a change in his condition."

Danny looked at his partner, trying to see the man, his friend, under the plethora of equipment being used while trying to save his life. He hated to leave, but knew he had to so that they could find the person responsible. He then glanced toward Max who remained seated on the rolling stool positioned at the head of the gurney. With a nod, he motioned for Max to join them near the door, out of the medical team's way. Another doctor, who they assumed was the toxicologist, had just arrived to confer with Makani.

"Max, I don't want Steve left alone. Would you mind staying for a while so we can go to headquarters?"

"I would be honored to stay," Max replied. "And will remain as long as necessary."

"There is an officer in the ICU waiting area, just outside that door," Kono added as she pointed toward the double doors to the hallway. "If you need anything, you can ask him."

"Oh, and Max," Chin remembered, "Do you have information on where we can locate that tech from this morning?"

"Yes, of course. I can call the office and have that information sent to your phones. Also, I will have all the photos and intake procedure file that Mr. Stringer compiled delivered to your office."

"Good," Danny answered, and then placed his hand on Max's arm. "And thanks, Max. For…"he removed his hand and waved it in Steve's direction. "For saving his life."

Max's cheeks were tinged with red when he looked back at the man on the gurney. "Let us hope that we were in time, and that these antidotes can reverse the damage already done."

"Yeah," Danny replied, looking toward his partner once again.

"Detective?" the doctor called to him.

"Yes."

"This is Dr. Hanson who I mentioned earlier. He will be overseeing the antidotes, but we have run into a problem." He nodded to the other doctor to explain it to them.

"The problem is with the antidote for the snake venom. It is manufactured in Viet Nam and I've left a message for a pharmacologist friend at the University of Hanoi to call me back. Unfortunately with the time difference, it is the middle of the night there. I did some research and they have several antivenins for Vietnamese vipers, which looks to be the main poison in the commander's system, and the one causing the paralysis. But the antivenins are different for different species of snake, so they need to pinpoint the venom as closely as they can. I have already forwarded our lab results to his email account and have asked him to contact me as soon as he sees it." He paused before continuing. "But the timing problem is the big issue. Nearly all deaths from this venom occur between six and twelve hours after being bitten. If my calculations are correct, we are now bordering on six hours from the time he received it. Hopefully, since he was injected and not actually bitten by the snake itself, we can buy him some time on the clock."

Dr. Makani explained further. "Even if we got the antidote onto the next flight out of Hanoi, we're looking at almost 13 hours from now before it gets here."

Danny glanced at the rest of the team before replying, "Well, then. You have to keep him alive until that stuff gets here."

"We'll do our best," Hanson replied. "But you do realize that this isn't a guarantee, right?"

"Yes," Chin replied for them. "Just do your best. That's all we ask."

~~~H50~~~

"Chin, anything?" Danny asked as he and Kono entered the glass doors of their headquarters, meeting Chin at the smart table.

"Well, no luck in finding Michelle Farris, if that's what you're asking," the detective replied, his frustration showing in his voice. "We only have prints on her because she was involved in a disturbance at Berkeley when she was a freshman in college. Nothing shows up with her social. No bank account, no credit cards, no nothing. Last known job was in California at a pharmaceutical company." He threw up a student ID and an expired California driver's license onto the overhead monitor. "That's a young Michelle Farris. She would now be approximately twelve years older." They stared at the photos of an 18 year old with blonde stringy hair staring back at them.

"Pharmaceutical company? As in drugs and toxins and stuff? There's got to be a connection," Kono said.

"If there is, we'll find it," Chin assured them, still searching the computer for answers. "What did Stringer have to say?"

Danny huffed. "If that kid makes it through med school, remind me to never go see a doctor," he said with disgust. "He's next to worthless."

"That was sort of the impression I got from Max," Chin replied, grinning.

"He didn't pay attention to the ambulance so he doesn't know what company it was… which is why it wasn't filled in on the paperwork," Danny added. "He just remembers two guys, one big and one little, bringing in the gurney. Of course, the signature on the intake form, even though it's probably bogus, is illegible."

"So," Kono summed up. "That's our 'good' news. Which means we have squat." She pulled out her phone and excused herself, walking toward her office.

Chin pulled up some files on the table and folded his arms while staring at it. "Well, I might have a bit of good news. I've been pulling up recent files and I have two that seem to be good leads."

"Any lead would be good at this point," Danny replied. "What've you got?"

The first is a case from a year or so ago, the Dungali brothers. We caught them importing exotic animals, including poisonous snakes and those humongous spiders onto the islands."

"Right… and I was chasing the younger brother when he ran in front of a car."

"Yes, and older brother swore revenge when he was sentenced. He's in Halawa and I've got a call in to the prison now. Hopefully we can get in to see him this afternoon."

"That's a good possible," Danny nodded. "What's the other one?"

"Remember the attempted theft of bio-chemicals at Chem-X a few months back?"

Danny stared at him for a moment before replying. "Yeah, the chemist decided to pilfer a hundred or so vials of toxins. When we were called in, he was attempting to lift another couple of boxes. We cornered him and he pulled a gun on Steve and was ready to shoot. I had to…" he stopped and then pointed at the smart table. "Steve and I went to see his wife… Charity… maybe, no, Chastity. She took it pretty hard."

"Maybe too hard?" Chin asked, pulling up records on the Marcus Raymond case.

"Nah, she was too clueless… she was 'sweet', you know. I don't think she'd be capable of this, but we'll check her out. Got the address?"

"Sending it to you now," Chin replied and glanced up, looking for his cousin who had just stepped out of her office.

She held up her phone. "Just talked to Max. Steve's blood pressure is beginning to stabilize after he received the two antidotes, but they are still waiting to hear from Hanoi about the viper venom that causes the paralysis. Apparently Max is spending his time researching while waiting. Someone took him his computer."

"Well, that's some good news," Danny told them. "Chin, fill Kono in on where we're going while I go put a call in for the governor. He asked for immediate updates. At least I can tell him that Steve isn't any worse."

~~~H50~~~

It was mid-afternoon when Danny and Kono pulled to a stop in front of the house that he and Steve visited to give a death notification to Chastity Raymond. The young woman was working in her flower beds at the time and fell to pieces when she heard the news of her husband's death.

Those same flower beds had now been overtaken with weeds. The once-immaculate lawn was overgrown and an off-kilter "For Sale" sign set close to the street. Danny and Kono met in front of the car as they stared at the obviously-vacant house.

"Well, this looks like a dead end," Danny stated.

Kono agreed and walked up the octagonal stepping stones to the front porch and peered into the dusty window. "Empty," she confirmed.

"I wish you would buy that house," a friendly voice spoke from the next yard. "It needs some TLC and a lot of elbow grease, but it is a nice one when it's fixed up."

"I'm sure it is," Danny agreed, walking toward the older lady who was weeding next to her sidewalk. "But we're not in the market to buy. Did you know the family who lived here?"

The lady stood and brushed off her hands, taking notice of their badges and guns. "Oh, yes," she told them. "I knew Chastity much better than Marcus, but they were both real pleasant. I still can't believe that boy was a thief like the papers said. He was always so nice." She shook her head and paused, taking a breath. "And poor Chastity. She was just heartbroken when he died. She just couldn't function. The poor dear sold most of her furniture, put the house up for sale and moved back to the mainland to be close to her family. She said they came to the islands for a perpetual honeymoon and now that Marcus was gone, she just couldn't stay here."

"Do you happen to remember when she left?" Kono asked her.

"Well, let me think," she pondered. "She was here for my birthday… she gave me that plant right over there… and that was the middle of August, but I believe she left that same week."

"Any idea where her family lives? Danny asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she told me, but my mind just isn't what it used to be. But it was farm country, I know she said that. Corn, I believe. Kansas? No, that doesn't sound right. Nebraska – that's it. She was from Nebraska."

"Well, thank you very much, Auntie," Kono told her.

"Anytime," she replied. "Are you sure you don't want to buy?"

"Not today," Kono told her, smiling. They thanked her and turned toward the car when they were called back.

"Silly me!" the neighbor exclaimed. "Do you need to get in touch with Chastity? She gave me her sister's cell number in case there was ever an emergency. If you want, I could go get it."

"Could you, please?" Kono asked. "That would be a big help."

~~~H50~~~

"Hey, Cuz, what've you got?" Kono asked when she answered Chin's phone call as she and Danny drove back to headquarters.

"A dead end," Chin replied. "Benji Dungali died from hepatitis four months ago." Chin heard a mumbled expletive from his cousin. "Any luck there?"

Kono sighed. "No, we'll fill you in when we get back. This day just keeps getting better and better."

"Don't I know it," Chin agreed with her.

~~~H50~~~

Kono came out of her office shortly after three and put her phone back into her pocket. "Just got off the phone with Chastity's sister, Loralei. Chastity did move back with her family in Nebraska. She is working in the dietary department at the local hospital on the 7 p to 7 a shift. Her sister took my number and said she would have her call me when she got up tomorrow – which will be around 10 a.m. our time."

"Good," Danny told her. "And to cover our bases, I checked the airlines and Chastity was on a flight to Omaha on August 20, so what the neighbor said was true."

"Looks like we can cross that one off the list, too," Chin said. "But I'm still compiling names. HPD has taken two more names to check out. We'll find this elusive Michelle."

"I have no doubt that we'll find her," Danny vowed. "There isn't another option."

"Hey." Kono got their attention. "Mind if I go relieve Max? I called and he said the only change is that Steve's temperature is rising. If it's OK, I'd like to stay there for a while."

"Sure," Danny said. "I'm planning to stay tonight, so I'll be there later."

"Then I'll take over for you in the morning," Chin told him. "You'll need to get some sleep."

"We can work out the details in the morning. Kono, I'll see you later." Danny poured himself a cup of coffee and held out a cup for Chin.

"No, thanks. I'm about all-coffee'd out. How do you want to tackle this?" Chin asked.

"Whatever you say, Chief."

"Then why don't I send you the files I've already gone through so you can make sure I haven't missed anything?"

"Sounds like a plan," Danny agreed. "Not a fun one," he amended, "but a plan."

~~~H50~~~

Glancing at his phone Danny realized it was 9:30 in the evening and he was running later than he had intended. He pressed the button for the fourth floor and waited as the car began its ascent. He hated hospitals. The hushed tones, the smell, the uncertainty which seemed to permeate the place. Whenever he was in one, it wasn't for something good.

_Well… Gracie came from the hospital._ He smiled at the thought. While not technically true, his daughter was presented to him at the hospital, so at least something good came from there. But this time was different. The doors opened on the fourth floor and he walked down the hall toward the ICU waiting room. Seated in a chair near the door into the ward itself, he discovered Duke Lukela, who stood and reached out to shake Danny's hand.

"Hey, Haole. How'z'it goin', Brah?"

"Duke! Wasn't expecting to see you here."

The officer shrugged his shoulder. "You guys needed manpower and I've got tomorrow off, so I'm gonna stay the night. Five-0 has helped us many times over. I'm just paying it back."

"Thank you," Danny replied. "I'm staying, too, until Chin comes and tries to chase me away. Any news from Kono?" he asked, pointing in the direction of the double doors.

The man shook his head. "No. Before the last guy left, I popped my head in there…" He hesitated, then shook his head, adding, "McGarrett, he don't look so good, Brah."

Danny nodded, sobering at the thought. "Yeah. But he'll pull through. Trust me."

~~~H50~~~

He stood outside Steve's room in ICU, watching through the glass wall, thinking of Duke's words. As much as he hated to admit it, Danny was glad that his partner was unconscious. Because Steve would absolutely hate what was going on right now.

Little white, spongy dots were stuck all over Steve's scalp, their attached wires snaking back to the EEG. They even stuck two of the leads on his cheeks.

Kono held a cloth and was wiping sweat from his forehead.

A nurse was placing ice packs on either side of his neck, under his arms and under the lightweight sheet covering him… in a location that Danny was sure _**no**_ ice pack was ever meant to be.

And he knew with certainty that Steve wouldn't like the needle they had stuck at the base of his neck with three additional IV lines leading from it.

At some point, they had put a gown on him, but now it was folded down, highlighting the bruises on Steve's chest which matched the ones surrounding the IVs in his arm and neck. From what he could see, one eye was also purple and swollen. Danny sighed and turned, hearing a voice behind him.

"You know, you can go in," Dr. Makani quietly told him.

"Yeah, I'm gearing up for that," Danny admitted, turning back to the room.

"Well, come on, let's chat." The doctor headed through the door, knowing Danny would follow.

Danny moved toward the bed, gravitating toward Kono. "How's it going?" he asked quietly.

She glanced around and offered him a half-hearted smile. "Hey, Brah, it's goin' good." She looked back down at her boss. "You know, just trying to keep him cool."

Makani was talking to the nurse while checking her notes and looking at the readings on all the monitors. Once that was done, he put on a pair of gloves and removed a gauze dressing from the inside of Steve's left elbow which revealed a swollen, red-crusted, still-seeping wound. He pressed the edges of it and gave the nurse orders to have another culture taken.

"What the hell happened there?" Danny blurted out after seeing the inflamed skin.

The doctor glanced up at him. "This is the needle mark made from the snake venom injection. And from what I understand, having never _**seen**_ this type of bite, this looks good. It would look much worse had he really been bitten by the viper."

"Any news on that antidote?" Kono asked.

"Not yet," he admitted. "I did learn that it is quite expensive and they will be expecting payment."

"Of course they will," Danny replied. "The governor is on board, so if you need anything at all, let me know."

"Any chance he has any pull with the airlines?" Makani asked. "If the vaccine comes via regular air, depending on the flights, the timing could delay getting it here."

Danny thought for a moment and reached for his phone. "I may have an 'in' with that. Let me make a couple of calls."

The doctor nodded. "The good news is that it is nearing ten p.m. and we passed the twelve hour mark several hours ago. We may come out of this with a miracle."

"You bet we will," Kono told him, reaching again for the cloth to dab at the sweat on Steve's face.

"How bad's the fever?" Danny asked.

The doctor glanced at the read-out. "High. Right now, it's slightly over 103. We may have to move him to a cooling mattress if it continues to peak. We'll just wait and see." He turned when the lab technician came into the room, and then moved away from the bed, motioning to Danny and Kono. "After she gets a culture, I'm going to cleanse and debride the wound." He pointed to an open door on the other side of the nurses' station. "Why don't you two go get some coffee while you wait?" To forestall Danny's comments, he added, "I know you don't want to leave, but you can position your chairs so that you can see the entry door. And the second reason is that I don't think you want to see what I'm about to do."

Danny slowly nodded. "Coffee's a good idea. Come on, Kono. I'm going to call in a favor."

~~~H50~~~

Chastity Michelle Raymond closed her laptop and shoved it across the couch. She jumped up and paced, muttering as she did so. "I don't get it."

"Sit down and quit worryin', Chas," Walt told her. "You know he died with all that crap you filled him with. The guy didn't have much of a chance."

"Yes, but why hasn't it hit the news yet? Why are they holding it back?"

"Who knows?" Walt replied. "The evening news will be on at ten. Just wait for it… and then you can celebrate."

She smiled and did a little dance across the floor. "And we will par-tay. I can't wait to see Williams' face at that funeral. I may even have to go up to him and express my condolences…"

~~~H50~~~


	9. Chapter 9

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 9**_

Danny's vigil that evening was taxing… and he wasn't the one who was ill. He watched silently as the nurses worked all night in their efforts to keep Steve's vitals at a reasonable level. Around midnight, when his temperature had reached 104, he had been placed on a water bed with cool water continuously being pumped through it. Carrying out that task required Steve to be moved onto a gurney, the mattress placed on top of the bed mattress and then filled before moving him back to bed. One positive they noted was that when touching him, he no longer seemed to bruise, so one symptom had been checked off their long list.

Even with the cooling mattress and ice packs on his body, Steve's temperature hovered around 101. Not great, but the nurses seemed pleased with that, so Danny relaxed a bit. What they weren't pleased about was his blood pressure which continued to drop. Drugs were administered to bring it back to acceptable levels, although it never reached a number they were comfortable with. Each time an alarm beeped on the myriad of machinery, Danny knew his own blood pressure sky-rocketed in fear.

So he sat, watching Steve's serene face, just waiting for a miracle. By the time morning arrived, he was tired and cranky and more than a little worried. The cold packs no longer seemed to be working and Steve's temperature had climbed back to 102. The nurses tried to remain positive, he was sure only for his benefit, but he could read their eyes when they looked at each other. And Danny knew, deep down, that a miracle was their only hope.

Dr. Makani arrived at six on Tuesday morning, a smile on his face. "Two vials of antivenin are leaving Vietnam within the hour," he reported. "Thanks to you, the Navy plane is on the tarmac in Hanoi waiting for it."

Danny blew out a breath and glanced at his watch. "So with luck, it should be here by seven or eight tonight, right?"

Makani was busy looking at Steve's chart. "That's the plan. Now, we just need to keep this guy stable until then." He fiddled with one of the IV lines and made a notation in the chart during the nurse change. He glanced at Danny and added, "You look like you could use some coffee." Nodding his head to the break room, he said, "There's a fresh pot across the hall. Let's go have a cup."

Danny hesitated, looking toward the bed when the doctor insisted. "We'll be nearby. You look like you've had a rough night, so come on."

Danny nodded and reluctantly left the room. Chin found them in the ICU break room twenty minutes later.

"Hey, Brah. How was last night?"

Danny shrugged his shoulders and sighed. "Nerve wracking. But Steve's hanging in there."

Makani looked down at his phone and then stood, smiling. "Good news! The plane just left Hanoi. Now, barring any complications, we can begin treatment tonight."

"Sounds like a plan," Danny replied around a yawn. "See ya, Doc."

"And I'll see _**you**_ later," Chin told him, pointing at his friend. "Go get some sleep. Kono will be in the office and I'll be here. Max will take over for me this afternoon and I'll meet you at headquarters around two. And that's an order. It came from Kono, so don't blame me."

Danny yawned once again and stood up, tossing his empty cup into the trash. "Rookie's getting too big for her britches," he said with a smile.

"Yeah, you can tell her that," Chin retorted.

~~~H50~~~

Chastity dressed in a non-descript navy tee shirt and khaki shorts before leaving her house that morning. She had gotten little sleep after listening to the news on every station and scouring the internet for a shred of information that hinted of a death within Five-0. She was angry, but was a woman on a mission. After one quick stop, she pulled into the parking lot of Tripler Army Medical Center and got out of her car. Her once-long brown hair had been cut and colored to a darker shade of brown streaked with red highlights. Sunglasses in place, she reached for a pair of black gloves, putting them on before picking up the vase of flowers from the back seat of her car.

Walking into the large waiting area, she approached the information desk and asked for Steve McGarrett. The Army private seated behind the desk checked her computer and found no patient by that name. Chastity muttered that it must have been an error, thanked the soldier, and then took her flowers and left.

Once back in the car, she answered her ringing phone after seeing the call was from her sister.

"Hey, Lori. What's up?"

"I got a phone call from Hawaii."

Chastity sat up straighter. "Yeah, from who?"

"Some woman from Five-0. They're checking up on you. I told her you were here, but were at work and that you would be glad to call her today around ten, Hawaii time."

"Oh, I would just _**love**_ to call her back," Chastity replied. "Thanks for the cover. If they happen to call back, just stall them. I'll wait a bit to call."

She drove from the parking lot and made her way to Punchbowl Street, heading for Queens Medical Center. When she got out of the car, her face was filled with a look of determination. She wouldn't give up until she found McGarrett and took care of him. This was twice he had managed to make a fool of them, and there wouldn't be a third time.

Chastity walked through the sliding glass doors carrying her flowers, and she turned on the charm.

"Hey, Darlin'," she spoke to the elderly Hawaiian lady seated at the Information Desk. "I've got flowers for "McGarrett, Steven". But they didn't give me a room number. Can you help me out, Auntie?"

"Certainly," the woman replied, smiling at the nice young lady. She then put on her glasses and turned to the computer setting on her desk. With several very slow keystrokes, she searched the names on the monitor. "Could you spell that last name for me, please? I'm not getting it to come up. They left me here all alone and I'm not too good at working this computer." She smiled again at the woman in front of her. "In my day, we got by just fine with pen and paper."

"Oh, I'm sure you did. Now everything is way too complicated, isn't it? The name is 'M-c-G-A-R-R-E-T-T'. Steven is the first name."

"M-c-G… Ah, yes, here it is. Let's see… The name is highlighted… not sure why that is."

Chastity could feel the heat rise and she knew her face was beet red . Certainly not from embarrassment, but with absolute rage_. How dare that man manage to live through this? I swear, I will take him apart limb from limb and personally feed him to the sharks. _

"I'm sorry, Miss, but Mr. McGarrett is in ICU. He isn't allowed the flowers while in that unit."

"Oh, really? Wow, someone paid a lot for these. It's a shame they have to go to waste. Are you sure I can't take them up?"

"I tell you what," the information lady replied. "Why don't you take them to the waiting room on the fourth floor? That way, all the people with family members in the ICU can appreciate them."

Chastity smiled. "Thank you so much. That is an excellent idea. Mahalo."

"My job is to help. Sweetie, why do you have to wear those sticky, black gloves in such hot weather?"

Chastity leaned over the desk and smiled, whispering her reply.

The information clerk laughed with her, noting as Chastity walked toward the elevators how professional this girl looked in her crisp, clean outfit and neat hair. Much better than those delivery boys with their dredlocks and piercings all over the place. She glanced around as her back-up returned from break. "Julia, why is this name highlighted on the screen?"

"Don't you remember, Ruthie? Names are highlighted when their information is confidential, for some reason or another. That information is not to be shared with anyone."

"Oh, dear."

~~~H50~~~

"Kalakaua."

"Um, hi, I'm looking for Kono," a hesitant voice spoke on the other end of the line.

"This is Kono." She glanced down at the number read out and saw the 402 area code from Nebraska, then hit the record button on the phone.

"Hi. This is Chastity Raymond. My sister said you wanted to speak with me."

"Thank you for calling me back. This is follow up to an incident yesterday in Hawaii."

"No offense, Ma'am, but I don't want to ever hear about Hawaii again. That place brought nothing but sadness to me."

"I understand, Chastity. But if I could ask you a couple of questions? "Do you happen to know anyone named Michelle Farris?"

"From Hawaii? I don't think so. I didn't work so I just knew my neighbors on our street. I was sort of a homebody. But now," she sighed, "now, I've gone back to work. Had to, you know, to make ends meet. But I've got a little apartment not too far from my parents and my sister and I'm getting my life back together."

"Good for you," Kono replied. "And you're sure you don't know Michelle Farris?"

"No, sorry. Wish I could help."

"Well, thank you for talking with me."

"You're welcome. Hope you figure out what you're looking for."

"Thanks. I hope so, too."

Kono set her phone down on the desk and rubbed her eyes, then glanced up to see both Chin and Danny looking her way through the glass wall of her office. She shook her head and rose from her chair, going out to tell them to cross another suspect off their list.

~~~H50~~~

They had tracked down names and crossed them off their lists all afternoon; all three team members were tired and ready to quit. Each time they found a possible suspect, their hope was soon squashed. Danny paused while reading his latest file and rubbed his eyes when his phone rang. He sighed and picked it up, listening intently to the person on the other end of his phone before replying, "Yes, Sir. Thank you. That definitely will help. I'll keep you posted." He left the file and quickly moved around his desk, pushed open his office door and motioned for Kono to meet him at the smart table where Chin was still cross referencing names.

"The plane from Hanoi is scheduled to land in twenty minutes and the governor is sending his private helicopter to meet it to deliver the drugs to the hospital. We're getting close, guys."

"Let's go!" Kono said, smiling at the prospect of Steve getting better.

"Absolutely," Chin agreed, while reaching for his ringing phone. "Hey, Max, I've got you on speaker."

There was silence on the other end.

"Max?"

"Chin, everyone, you need to get here quickly. Steve is… he's… it's bad. Just get here."

Chin grabbed the phone off the table and replied, "On our way," while the other two raced out the door ahead of him.

They nodded at Officer Helaka as they raced through the double doors into ICU. Max met them in the hallway, stopping them before they reached the glassed-in cubicle where Steve lay.

"Max, what happened?" Chin asked.

The medical examiner looked shell shocked and shook his head. "He—Steve just began to crash. Over the period of twenty minutes, his fever began rising and his body just began shutting down. They say there is nothing they can do… and are just trying to keep him alive until the antivenin gets here, in hopes that it isn't too late for that."

"It's got to work," Danny replied, his voice shaky. They began to walk toward the cubicle where their friend was located, only to find the vertical blinds all drawn shut. "We're going in," he stated, moving to the doorway and stopping when Dr. Hanson glanced up and frowned at him.

The doctor walked toward the doorway and shook his head. "We've done all we can. I'm sorry, but it's just a matter of time."

"But the antidote is coming," Kono argued.

He shook his head once again. "Even if it was here now, I doubt it would do any good," he admitted. "The commander's body just can't take any more."

"But there's still a chance it could work?" Danny asked.

"As long as he's alive, there is a chance," Hanson admitted. "But our window of opportunity is shutting quickly."

"Just keep him alive." Danny looked around Hanson toward the bed. "Please."

The room was crowded with three doctors and two nurses around the bed, but Kono walked to the bed and reached for the cloth a nurse was using to blot the sweat from Steve's face. "May I?" she whispered.

The nurse offered her a sad smile and moved out of her way. "Of course."

~~~H50~~~

"Williams," Danny barked into the phone while standing in the doorway to Steve's room. "Thank you, thank you very much." He looked at the group gathered in front of him and smiled. "The chopper is touching down on the roof right now."

"Excellent news!" Max said and turned to let the doctors know that the antivenin was on its way.

"Don, good news! The chopper just-"

The eerie pitch of the heart monitor's flat line drowned out the rest of his news.

"No! Not now." Danny said, seeing the medical crew converge on the bed.

A nurse reached for Kono's arm and pushed her aside as they began working on Steve. She quickly moved to stand beside her friends as they all watched the doctors and nurses working in tandem, fighting for their friend's life.

"Get him back, get him back," Danny began whispering while continuing to listen to the piercing sound of the flat line.

"Clear."

Chin's hand squeezed Danny's shoulder as Chin said, "Come on, Steve. Don't give up now."

The high-pitched sound continued.

"Again!" Dr. Makani said.

Finally, there was a small blip on the screen, then another and Makani backed away from the bed. He turned toward the team and said, "We've got one shot. Get that antivenin down here now."

At the same time, Officer Helaka opened the double doors.

"Chin! Shots fired on the roof!"

~~~H50~~~


	10. Chapter 10

_**Hello to everyone! **_

_**I have heard rumbles that folks are really getting antsy to have Steve back in the story. Well... don't throw darts,or eggs, or tomatoes, but this isn't the chapter. He's in here, but not quite conscious. But I promise, he'll make his presence known in the next one. Pinky swear!  
**_

_**Again, thanks so much for the wonderful reviews. For the ones marked 'Guest', thanks to you also. The reviews really make my heart sing. And thanks again to the team of Sockie and Sym who manage to keep me on my toes. Oh! And I don't think I have mentioned it for a while, but these characters do not belong to me... never have. Although I *do* have them on my Christmas wish list. Here's hoping Santa will come through!  
**_

**_~~~H50~~~_**

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 10**_

_**At the same time, Officer Helaka opened the double doors. "Chin! Shots fired on the roof!"**_

Danny looked through the doorway at Steve, then back at Chin as they raced out of ICU. "Kono, stay with Steve and Max. And guard the door. We're taking Helaka."

"What's the problem?" Dr. Hanson asked from inside Steve's glassed-in room.

Kono shook her head in amazement and stepped inside. "Gunfire on the roof," she told the doctors, not quite believing what she had heard.

"What the hell?" Makani said. "Someone must really want him to die. And unless those drugs get in here soon, they'll have their wish."

Ten minutes later, Chin and Danny returned, Wade Gutches with them, carrying what looked like a drink cooler in his hands. The trio had smiles of relief on their faces.

"Thank God!" Kono breathed, stepping aside for them to enter. "What happened up there?"

A nurse took the container and turned to Dr. Hanson, who spoke quietly to her. She set down the cooler and then turned, spreading her arms wide, moving them all back away from the bed. "You can stay, but back here out of the way."

Danny nodded and stepped back with the rest, then turned to Wade who answered Kono's question.

"Whoever these morons were, apparently they had no clue there were two SEALs on the flight." He gave her a quick grin and added proudly, "there wasn't much of a fight."

"Are they in custody?"

"One is," Chin replied, quirking his eyebrow at her. "What I don't understand is why you were there?" he asked Wade.

"Danny had called and requested a plane which the Navy was able to dispatch from Manila. Jacks and I decided to meet it when it touched down here and take control of the container. We hopped in the chopper."

Danny clapped him on the back. "Good job. Glad to have you on our team."

Their attention was drawn back to the people surrounding Steve's bed, listening to Hanson's voice. "Draw up 2 ml of the antivenin."

"Which vial?" a nurse asked. "Aren't there two different strains of it?"

"At this stage, just give me one… we don't have time to choose."

She opened the cooler and muttered "Oh!" upon seeing the interior. "No choice, one is already broken." She carefully lifted out the intact vial and cleaned the top of it with an alcohol swab before inserting the syringe needle into it. Another nurse reached for the container and set it aside.

Danny slipped in and grabbed the cooler, finding a small bullet hole in the side of it. He viewed the shattered vial inside the packing material and glanced up at his friends, letting out a shuddering sigh. "That was way too close. We almost lost both vials."

"We didn't," Max told him, his attention on the activity around the bed. He kept inching closer to see what was happening, watching as Hanson emptied the contents of the syringe into an empty line leading into the port near Steve's collarbone. Max forgot he was supposed to be standing away from the bed and asked, "How quickly should this work?"

"Hopefully soon," Makani replied, shaking his head. "Otherwise, none of this will really matter."

Steve's friends waited in silence, watching, _willing_ something to happen.

In vain. Because Steve didn't miraculously twitch, move, open his eyes or anything else.

Steve remained as still as before, and on the outside, nothing had changed.

Dr. Hanson nodded in their direction as he headed out the door. Makani and the two nurses remained at Steve's bedside, checking tubes, writing numbers, adjusting knobs, making small talk. Danny Williams thought he would scream, wanting someone to just say _**something**_.

Finally, Dr. Makani turned to them and smiled. "Well, once again we wait."

"Can't you tell us anything other than that?" Danny asked testily.

The doctor glanced back at the bed. "For the time being, he's no worse. Hopefully the antivenin will change things for the better. We'll be watching him closely for any sign of change."

Gutches looked at the rest of them. "You'll keep us posted?"

"Of course," Chin assured him. "Thank you for your help. And for the big guns."

"Jacks and your guard have the perp in custody. Do you need anything from us before we take off?"

Chin shook his head. "I'll check back, but HPD was en route to take him in and take his brother to the ME's office." He shook the SEAL's hand. "Mahalo, Man. Appreciate your help."

Gutches nodded at all them, then told Max, "Looks like we created more work for you."

"After that stunt, I cannot say that I'm sorry. I will personally handle his case."

"Thanks, Max," Kono told the ME, giving him a quick hug.

Danny looked at his phone to check the time. "Eight forty-five. How should we work this?" He stared at his partner's still form on the bed, then back to Chin. They all were bordering on bone-weary exhaustion, but knew that they had a lot of work ahead of them that night.

Chin replied, "HPD is taking our shooter to our interroga—"

"He can rot in there for all I care," Danny interrupted.

"Not before I get answers," Chin said. "I'm going to find out who the hell Michelle Farris is."

"OK, someone needs to stay here," Danny told them, rubbing his tired eyes. "I am going to be there when you interrogate this idiot, but Kono, you're better on the research end of things. Why don't you—"

"If I may interrupt," Max quietly said. "I am still on… 'Steve watch'… if you will, until I am relieved later tonight. At that time, I will go to my office and will begin work on my newest customer. Until then, I would prefer to remain here. My suggestion is that you can all go to headquarters and find out who these people are and why they have targeted Commander McGarrett as they have. I would be most interested in their answers."

"You don't mind?" Kono asked him.

"Of course not. Even if one of you chooses to remain, I will also stay. It is my turn."

"Well, Max, thank you," Chin said with a grin while slapping the man on his shoulder. "We certainly wouldn't want you to lose 'your turn'."

"I appreciate that," Max agreed, with a nod.

"Thanks, Max. Call if anything… I mean anything changes," Danny ordered. "You got that?"

"Absolutely."

"Then let's go meet this brilliant perp of ours," he muttered. "But first," he moved to the bed and stood next to the nurse and grasped Steve's wrist. "You keep an eye on this moron for me, OK?" he asked her. She smiled as he released his partner's wrist and reached up to give Steve's shoulder a quick squeeze.

"Of course we will," she assured him. "Don't worry – we'll let you know if we see any change. We're all pulling for him."

Danny nodded. "Good to hear. Max, I'll be back later. And thanks, again."

~~~H50~~~

Barry Davidson sat in the holding cell of headquarters, handcuffed to a chair setting in the middle of the darkened room.

Alone.

He had been dragged in there a couple of hours ago and just left … without any indication of what they were going to do with him. He watched Walt get hit and with all the blood he was sure his brother was dead.

There was too much blood for any other possibility.

Just like when his half brother, Marcus had been killed.

Now Walt was gone and he was left. Just him and Chas.

But they would still get their revenge. He would make sure of it.

~~~H50~~~

While allowing Barry to stew inside the holding room, Chin, Danny and Kono were thoroughly combing through the information on the computer table, and files, learning all they could about the two brothers, Barry and Walt Davidson. They were from California, father and step-mother both deceased from an explosion in their house a few years ago.

What was odd was that the brothers' prints weren't on file anywhere… making them novices at crime… which was highly doubtful… or what was more likely… they just had never been caught.

Until now.

Bank accounts were pretty non-descript. Not a lot of cash moving in or out. Walt worked for a cleaning company; Barry was a mechanic. They were renting a house on Keolu Street. Their payment history was decent; not a lot of bills in their names. Whoever they were, or whoever they were working for, they were flying under the radar.

But that was about to change.

Danny and Chin were going to interrogate Barry. Kono pulled together a team from HPD to check out the house on Keolu Street. She was thankful that Duke was working that night and pulled on his expertise. He was more than happy to assist.

Barry looked up, a smug smile on his face when Danny and Chin entered the room and flipped on the lights, which caused him to squint up at them.

Chin slapped down the hastily-prepared file onto the floor and then opened the door once again and snared a chair and sat, all the time silently staring at Barry.

Danny chose to fold his arms and lean against the wall, also glaring at their perp.

After a length of silence, Chin leaned back in his chair. "So… Barry Davidson, what would you like to tell us?"

"Huh?"

"You need to be a bit more detail-oriented," Chin added. "Like what were your plans on that roof?"

"Screw you. You guys killed my brother."

"Not true. Your brother was killed by a Navy SEAL. You pissed off the wrong people, Barry."

"Huh?"

"Is that the only word you know? You need to work on a better answer. Next question. Who is Michelle Farris?"

"Who?" He looked at them with true confusion on his face, before covering it. "Look. I'm not talkin' to you or anybody else."

Chin looked at Danny who had remained silent. Chin shrugged his shoulders and stood, reaching for the file. "Suit yourself. We've got you for attempted murder in the case of the chopper on the hospital roof and also for Commander McGarrett, unless he miraculously pulls through."

Barry barked out a sharp laugh. "Don't know what you're talking about. I haven't killed anyone."

"Attempted murder," Danny finally spoke. "Of a police officer who is also a decorated Navy SEAL. Hmm, you know, Chin, the Navy might even take the case and charge him in military court." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'd gladly turn him over and be done with him."

Chin slapped the folder on his hand and chuckled. "Well, for Barry's sake, let's hope they don't come for him. That outcome wouldn't be very pleasant."

Barry looked from one to the other. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Danny shrugged. "Well, they really don't take too kindly at people who kill one of their own. Especially the SEALs… they're really a tight group. If you're lucky enough to escape the death penalty, well," he paused and shook his head. "I hear military prison is pretty scary."

Barry couldn't keep the fear off his face, even though they were feeding him a load of bull. "I didn't kill anyone."

"Well, you aren't being very cooperative, are you?" Chin asked.

"I can't tell you anything."

"Who's Michelle Farris?"

"Never heard of her."

"Right. Why was Commander McGarrett targeted?"

"Don't know what you're talking about. And while we're at it, I want a lawyer."

"We're not finished," Danny bit out harshly. "And for the record, we don't have to abide by the lawyer card."

"Of course you do," Barry said, although his voice didn't sound very sure of it.

"The governor of Hawaii has said we don't," Danny replied. "Now, who is Michelle Farris?"

"I told you… I've never heard of Michelle Farris. Why?"

"We found her print."

"So?"

"It was on Commander McGarrett's face," he shouted. "Put there in his own blood!"

"Huh? That was-" He managed to shut himself up. "Don't know what you're talkin' about."

"Right. Who was it?"

Barry shrugged just as Chin's phone rang. Chin moved away and turned his back to them. "Kelly."

"Chin… you guys need to get over here now," Kono's voice said into the phone.

"Got it." He didn't ask questions, but cut off the call, took the file and headed toward the door. "Danny, let's get him in lock up. Kono needs us. Urgent."

Danny stepped away from the perp when Chin got an officer into the room to escort Barry into HPD lock up.

"We're not finished," Danny promised him as he was re-handcuffed and pushed out the doorway. Barry smirked as he passed. Danny looked toward the guard and ordered, "Put him in solitary. No phone call. No lawyer. Not yet."

Danny couldn't wait to wipe that smirk off his face.

~~~H50~~~

The nurse watched Max as Max watched over Steve. "You're a good friend, Max," she softly commented.

"I beg your… oh, thank you, Calla. I am Steve's friend because he… looks beyond my… differences, so to speak and has always shown his friendship to me."

"Those friendships are hard to come by, aren't they?" she asked.

"And they are very binding."

"That they are."

Their discussion was interrupted by Dr. Makani's entrance. "How are things looking?"

She ran down her report, ending with the fact that there had really been no change in Steve's status.

"I think we're going to try and shake things up a bit," he commented, checking over the chart.

"How so?" Max inquired.

"I'm going to dial back on the sedation and see what happens." He wrote on the chart and then reached up and reset the IV pump. "My hope is that he will begin trying to breathe for himself. If it doesn't work, we can always try again later."

"How long do you think it will take?" Max asked.

"That's what I don't know," Makani admitted. "With the variety of chemicals in his system, I can't guess how quickly he may wake. But the sooner we start the process the quicker we will know what damage we can expect."

"And…" Max paused, trying to form his words. "You do believe there is damage?"

The doctor sighed and looked at the ME. "Let's say that I will be most surprised if he comes out of this whole."

Max thought a moment and then nodded. "Fair enough. But I will go on record and state that you don't know my friend as I do."

Makani tipped his head and smiled. "Fair enough. And for the record, I hope you're right."

~~~H50~~~

Kono was outside, leaning against her car when Chin and Danny arrived. The house had been quickly cleared and now forensics was going over it with a fine-tooth comb and she couldn't wait to show them what had been found. The three bedroom house in the middle class neighborhood held secrets the neighbors would never have guessed.

"What'd you find?" Danny asked when they met her on the sidewalk.

"Just wait," she replied, moving up the steps. As they walked through the house, she spoke over her shoulder. "First, let's check out the utility cabinets." Opening one of the doors, they found numerous bottles, vials, and boxes full of unknown substances.

"Holy sh…!" Danny exclaimed, opening up the next full cabinet. "What is this stuff?"

"Samples have been sent to the crime lab, but I'm willing to bet they'll find some of those drugs on Steve's tox report."

"How about prints?" Chin asked.

"The two brothers and Michelle Farris," Kono confirmed.

"Who Barry Davidson claims he doesn't know," Danny added. "Can't wait to talk to him again."

"There's more," Kono told them. "Come with me. Just be prepared."

They followed her into one of the bedrooms and immediately stopped when they saw the opposite wall. Pinned to it were photos.

_**Many**_ photos. Of all four of them.

Together. Separate.

With Kamekono. With Max. One with the governor.

At crime scenes. At their homes. Steve swimming. _**Lots**_ of photos of Steve swimming.

All time stamped.

Kono watched as the guys took it all in before she spoke.

"All were taken by Michelle Farris. Her prints were the only ones on the camera."

"Who the hell is Michelle Farris?" Danny shouted, walking toward the wall. Checking out the photos, he glanced at the dates and time stamps. "All of this comes back to her. Looks like she didn't begin taking pictures until about three weeks ago."

"Right," Kono agreed. "So, can we assume something happened recently to set her off?"

"Possibly," Chin remarked, walking around the room. It was a generic room with no personal items in either it or the attached bath. Other than a bed and a mostly-cleaned out chest of drawers, the only items were the pictures on the wall. The closet was near-empty as well. "Anything in the other rooms?" he asked.

Kono shook her head. "Forensics is still working. So far, nothing."

"Hey, Kono!"

They heard the shout from the den and walked in that direction. A technician held a recycled bag from a local grocery store in one hand and a cell phone in the other. He held it out to her. "Found this in the pantry with the phone inside. Looks like a burner, but maybe you can get something from it."

"Is it turned on?" Chin asked.

"No," she replied, switching it on. Once it was active, she found the recent history and stared at it. "Guys…"

"What is it?" Danny asked, moving to her side.

"We need to get back to headquarters," she said, looking at both of them. "This is the phone Chastity Raymond used to call me yesterday… supposedly from Nebraska."

"Bingo." Chin smiled. "I think we need to pay Barry another visit." They headed for the door when Danny's phone dinged and he stopped to answer. After listening for a moment, he sighed and muttered, "son of a bitch," to no one in particular. "Yeah, thanks," he spoke into the phone and went outside to meet Chin and Kono.

"What's wrong?"

"Is it Steve?"

Both Chin and Kono fired questions at him when they saw the look on Danny's face. He blew out his breath and shook his head.

"Barry's dead."

"What?" Chin asked.

"They found him in the holding cell. After a meeting with his lawyer."

"We didn't authorize a meeting with his lawyer," Chin argued.

"His female lawyer," Danny reiterated.

"Chastity."

~~~H50~~~

By the time they drove back to Headquarters, it was nearing three a.m. They dragged themselves inside and Danny looked around the empty office before making a decision. "Guys, we're running on fumes. You two go home and get some sleep. Kono, lock the phone up… it will be there in the morning. I'm going to the hospital for a while to check on Steve and allow Max to go home."

Chin wanted to stay, but nodded his agreement. "We're all tired. Let's regroup at the hospital for breakfast – deal?"

"Yeah," Kono replied around a yawn. She went into her office and locked the phone in her desk before meeting the guys near the door. "Tomorrow's gonna be better guys."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Danny replied, squeezing her shoulder as they walked through the door.

~~~H50~~~

"How's he doing, Calla?" Danny asked as soon as he entered the room. He had talked to Max in the hallway and filling him in on yet another victim. They had asked for Barry's body to be sent to Max for autopsy, so both brothers were on the docket for in the morning.

"Hi, Detective," the nurse replied. "Things are about the same. Certainly not any worse. His temperature is still a concern; we just can't seem to get it down, but other than that, nothing has really changed. Although his pressure looks better," she added, checking the newest readout.

"That's good to hear… and call me Danny."

"Of course, Danny. The doctors cut back on the commander's sedation and they're hoping he might begin showing signs of consciousness in a couple of hours."

Danny stood on the opposite side of Steve's bed. "Do they think the antidote worked?"

"Hope so. We're still waiting to see. They gave him 2mls initially and are infusing the rest through the central line. It should soon all be in his system."

"So, what you're saying is that 'we wait'… again."

"Yup, that's what I'm saying, so you might as well get comfortable," she replied with a kind smile. "You know where the coffee pot is when you need it."

Danny plopped down onto the plastic chair and tried to find a comfortable spot. Realizing that wasn't going to happen, he reached for his phone and began scrolling through messages, hoping to catch up on some business.

~~~H50~~~

_Here._

_He was here. _

_Although where 'here' was, was anyone's guess._

_It was dark, but that was OK. It didn't hurt, and he did remember pain from before._

Steve remembered his Dad had an old radio setting in the garage window and in order to listen to it, he would have to turn the knob to tune it. Every time he turned it on, they would hear static and then a few notes of a song, then more static until finally it was tuned in to the station.

_That's the way he felt now. Static, then snippets of words followed by more static. He tried to fine tune his hearing, but in addition to what he knew were words, he heard blips and beeps that drowned out the voices._

The sounds weren't really unpleasant, so he floated and allowed the sounds lull him back to sleep.

_He was here._

_Somewhere._

~~~H50~~~

"Danny?"

"Yeah." He glanced up from his phone.

"Look." Calla nodded down to where Steve's right arm was lying by his side.

Danny watched as Steve's ring and pinky fingers curled onto the sheet then straightened to lie flat.

Almost afraid to break his partner's movement, Danny stood and leaned over the head of the bed, reaching his hand down to clasp Steve's other hand. "Steve, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand, OK partner?"

The fingers of his left hand finally curled around Danny's. "Good, Steve. You can move. That's great news."

"Danny, he's still not conscious…"

…_yes, I am._

"but this _**is**_ good news. I'll get one of the doctors in here."

She stepped to the door as Danny looked back down at his partner. He could see Steve move his left wrist but the left arm was wrapped in a gauze bandage, covering the damaged skin around his elbow at the injection site. He then moved his right arm, trying to draw it upward just as Calla returned to his bedside.

Calla grasped Steve's wrist before he reached his mouth with it. "Hold on, you're not going to remove that."

_Have to. Gotta… talk…_

She wasn't prepared for Steve's response when his arm flew back in her direction, hitting her in the chest with the back of his hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Steven!" Danny reached across the bed and grabbed Steve's hand. "You don't just wake up and start beating up on the nurses. She's one of the good guys, Steve." He set the hand back onto the bed. "Now you leave that there."

"He's waking up quicker than they anticipated," Calla explained, "and he's beginning to fight the vent."

_No, I'm not… just need to warn… Danny._

"Steve, just remain calm, the doctor will be here in a few minutes." She rubbed her hand on Steve's shoulder, hoping to keep him grounded, while glancing at Danny. "Dr. Makani has left the building and Dr. Hanson is with another patient at the moment. He'll be here as soon as he can."

Steve raised his arm once again and she grasped his hand.

"Shh, it's OK. We'll take it out soon."

_C'mon… please. Now._

Calla looked at his vitals and could see that he was stressing. Touching a couple buttons on the IV pump, she explained to Danny, "I'm going to give him just a bit more. Maybe we brought him out too quickly. With drug overdoses, you don't know how a person will react to the combination of drugs in their system. There. That should help a bit."

Steve recognized the lethargic feeling and panicked, reaching his hand up once more.

_No! Please. Danny, stop her. I need to…_

Once again his world was filled with static.

~~~H50~~~


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hello, everyone. Once again, I don't have all my 'thanks for your review' notes completed, but please know that I do appreciate each and every one of them. I *will* get notes to everyone.**_

_**As for this chapter, once again I need to thank sockie1000 and sym64 for their prompt turn around with their comments... **__**especially since I didn't even send it to them until 3 a.m. Saturday morning. **_They go way above and beyond their duty as betas. Gals, I really appreciate your help and couldn't do this without you... Also, to sockie and sym... rest assured no one was 'blown' in this chapter. Don't ask. :)  


_**One more thing... I made lots of changes after they read it, so if it doesn't make sense... don't blame them. Mistakes are *all* mine.  
**_

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 11**_

_Too dang hot in here… Somebody turn on the AC._

_Feel like someone used me as a punching bag._

_Oh… yeah, that._

_Hurts…_

Danny spent Wednesday night leaning over his partner's hospital bed, talking to Steve when he became restless; helping the nurse as she tried to cool him down and generally worrying himself sick. Steve didn't wake up during that time, which caused Danny more concern. Max had passed along the doctor's comment about possible brain damage and it was all Danny could do to keep it together when he was ready to come totally unglued.

On the bright side, Steve could move. And he did so, nearly continuously. Legs, arms, neck, hands, fingers. He couldn't keep still. Danny could tell when he was in pain by the grimaces he would make while trying to find a more comfortable position. Steve's body was still covered in deep bruises and Danny winced each time Steve made a face. Steve would grimace, then relax for a few minutes before his movement began again. Danny could see that his friend wasn't comfortable and he longed to help him but didn't know what to do.

The nurses had changed at 6 a.m. and Calla had bid him and Steve goodbye. Her replacement was Margaret, who reminded Danny of his own mother just a few years ago. She was the nurturing type and immediately began fawning all over both him and Steve. Margaret reviewed Steve's chart before Calla left and afterwards began making her own notations in it. Looking at the worried expression on Danny's face, she quietly commented, "You know, he really is doing better. I wouldn't be surprised if he wakes up this morning."

_The sounds were back. Hisses, beeps, annoying stuff._

_The pain was back, too. Everything hurt._

_Constantly. If he could move, maybe he could get rid of it._

_But he tried that. It didn't work._

_Nothing worked._

…"wakes up this morning".

_Voices. Can I wake up? Will I ever wake up?_

_Maybe I'll just lay here._

_But I gotta move._

_Here hurts._

Danny glanced at her. "Hope so. The not knowing is killing me. And he was…" he paused and took a deep breath, looking back at his partner. "He was really bad last night before the antidote."

She nodded, checking the chart from the night before. "I can see that. But I promise you that I'll keep him as comfortable as possible. And since I've been here, his temp has dropped almost a full degree. Let's give him time to wake up."

"Excuse me," Danny said, reaching for his phone and checking his text. He hesitated and then asked, "What time do you think the doctor will be here? Our team is downstairs and they want me to meet them for breakfast."

"Then go. We don't know how long the doctor will take and you look like you can use a break."

"Yeah, but call me, OK? My number is in the chart."

"Will do. Go relax with your friends. I'll take care of this one." She motioned for him to leave and then turned back to the bed. "We'll be just fine, won't we?"

~~~H50~~~

During breakfast, Kono and Chin had convinced Danny to go home for a shower and some sleep before heading into the office. The two had ganged up on him before he relented; but only after he was able to check on his partner again. As they were talking, a short, Hawaiian lady approached the table.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, but may I speak to you?"

They glanced at her and after a beat, recognition set in and Chin stood and held out his arms.

"Aunt Ruthie!"

She melted into his embrace. "Chin Ho Kelly, as I live and breathe. Where have you kept yourself?"

"I've been around, Auntie. It's good to see you. You remember Kono, don't you?"

"Oh, my, yes. You've grown into a beautiful, young woman."

"Thank you, Auntie. I think I remember you."

"Auntie, this is our co-worker, Detective Danny Williams."

"Nice to meet you," Danny replied. "Another aunt, huh?"

Chin grinned. "In title only. She used to babysit me," he admitted. "Have a seat, Auntie."

Ruth became serious, reaching her hand out to place on Chin's arm. "Chin Ho, I did something terribly wrong."

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning in closer to her.

She shook her head and looked to each of them before beginning. "I work at the information desk downstairs and yesterday I gave out information on Commander McGarrett… I didn't know the details of his admission were to be kept secret."

Chin nodded and then asked, "Tell me what happened, please."

She looked down at the table, drawing circles with her finger. "It was about flowers. A girl came to the desk and asked for the commander's room number. I looked it up, and noticed the name was highlighted in yellow, but I was by myself at the desk, and while I knew the yellow meant something, I didn't know—"

Danny placed his hand on her arm. "Ma'am, that's OK. Tell us about the girl with the flowers, please."

"Oh, yes, she had flowers to be delivered to the commander. I explained that he was in ICU and therefore couldn't have flowers. She seemed so distressed because someone had paid a lot of money for them, so I suggested that she take them to the ICU waiting room so that everyone's family members could enjoy them. She seemed so happy with that idea."

Kono quickly said to her team, "If we're lucky, we can get prints."

"Oh, she wouldn't have left prints," Ruth told them. "She was wearing black gloves. Plastic ones. I commented that they must be hot and she was rather embarrassed about the reason. The poor girl delivers flowers for a living and she is allergic to them."

"Right," Kono said, dragging out the word in disbelief.

Chin again patted Ruth's hand. "Thank you for coming forward, Auntie."

"I am so very sorry."

"We'll check it out. Steve has a lot of protection, so he is fine."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"No worries, Auntie," Kono told her. "But I would like to go downstairs with you to see if there are any security cameras in the area."

"Yes, of course," she replied, standing. "It was nice to meet you, Detective." She leaned down and hugged Chin. "Don't be a stranger, Chin Ho."

"Never. Please take care."

"Let's get back upstairs," Danny stood and said after Kono and Ruth left the table. "If we can get the flowers to Fong, we could get lucky with a print. I can't believe she was _here_. Just in the next room from Steve."

"I think she's desperate," Chin replied. "And desperate people make mistakes."

They exited the elevator and Chin pulled out a pair of black gloves from his back pants pocket. Slipping them on, he reached for the card nestled in the flower arrangement and opened the small envelope. All that was on the card was a bulls-eye made in red marker.

Danny reached for his phone while Chin bagged the card.

"Calling Fong to see if he can get someone down here to pick these up," Danny told him.

"The flowers are nice," a lady sitting along the side wall spoke to them. She leaned forward in her chair and they could see the exhaustion on her face. Spending the night in an ICU waiting room wasn't conducive to anyone's health. "I was here when they were brought in. The girl said she hoped everyone enjoyed them."

"Well, I'm sorry, but we have to take them. They have now become part of a police investigation," Chin explained. "Did she say anything else?"

She shook her head. "I don't recall anything. She seemed to be in a hurry."

"Any chance you could help us with a description of her? Anything you can think of would help."

"Of course, I would be glad to do so. But I really didn't pay that much attention. I do remember her hair. It was short and dark with red highlights in it…"

They had just finished up the description when Kono returned. "Hospital Security is pulling footage, but from the angles of the cameras, I doubt we get anything we can use for facial recognition."

"She's smart, I'll give her that," Danny replied after hanging up his phone. "But she's going to make a mistake," he predicted.

"And we'll be there when she does, Brah," Kono vowed once again.

"Fong is sending someone for the flowers," Danny told the guard at the door as they entered ICU. "Make sure no one bothers them until the crime lab person arrives."

~~~H50~~~

They entered Steve's cubicle, Danny in the lead. When he suddenly stopped just inside the door, it took all that Kono had not to plow right into him.

"Danny?" she asked.

Danny stared at the bed. "Look at Steve!"

They peered around him to see Steve, lying in bed, minus the vent that had been breathing for him since this ordeal began on Monday. Also gone were the leads to the EEG. There wasn't even an oxygen mask; just a cannula supplying extra air.

Margaret looked over at them and smiled. "Dr. Makani just left to take a phone call but he'll be back soon. He felt the commander was breathing well enough on his own to remove the vent."

"Has he woken up?" Chin asked.

She shook her head. "Not really, but Makani gave him a muscle relaxant shortly before he removed the vent so he wouldn't gag on it. That should wear off soon, though."

Kono reached up and stroked her thumb over Steve's forehead. "He still feels hot."

Margaret nodded. "He is. Looks like the fever may be a lingering side effect from the poisons." They watched as Steve moved into Kono's touch. "Look at that, I think he knows you're here. Talk to him."

Kono looked at Danny who nodded at her. "Go ahead, Kono, see if you can wake him."

She kept her thumb lightly rubbing his forehead. "Hey, Boss. You're gonna have a wicked case of bed head if you don't wake up soon," she told him with a smile while lifting a short lock of sweat-slick hair back from his forehead. "Steve, can you hear me?"

_Hey, Boss…_

_Wake up… hear me?_

The individual words were filtering through slowly, almost like there were moments in time separating them from one another.

_Quiet. Hissing was gone. Not like before._

_Nice. The touch didn't hurt._

_Everything hurt… before._

_Wake up? Not now. Now was… tired._

"He's going to be his old, stubborn self," Danny muttered. "I can already tell."

Kono stepped back and reached for her phone. "I'm going to call Max. He'll want to know that the vent is gone."

"Yeah," Danny replied. "Good thinking. I'm sorry that I didn't even think about it." He moved closer to the head of the bed, on Steve's right, and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You going to wake up soon?"

Steve's head lolled to that side and he bent his arm at the elbow, reaching, his hand flexing; searching for something.

"What?" Danny asked. "Steven, you wanna hold hands with me?" Danny grasped Steve's hand and squeezed. "Hey partner, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand."

_Words again._

_Hold hand._

_Squeeze._

_Squeeze…_

He concentrated.

Frowned.

Tried.

He really did.

"It's OK, Babe. Don't sweat it. You're not my type anyway," Danny said, smiling down at his partner.

And then Danny felt the grip on his hand. Not a firm one, but steady and… there.

"Way to go, Brah," Chin praised Steve, seeing the accomplishment.

Further conversation was stopped when the doctor reappeared. "Sorry, I had to take that call," he told them, returning to Steve's bedside. "Has he opened his eyes yet?"

"No," Margaret replied. "But he is responding."

Makani asked the team to leave for a few moments while he performed a neuro check. Chin and Kono began to file out when Danny stopped. "Hey, Steve, Doc's kicking me out and I have to take that hand with me."

Steve's grip tightened, apparently not willing to let go.

_Danny?_

Makani nodded at the grip Steve had on Danny's hand and commented, "Looks like he wants you to stay." Glancing toward the door he called Chin and Kono back into the room. "Apparently my patient vetoed me and says you can stay. But…" he turned back and leaned over the bed. "Steve, you've got to work for it. It's time to open your eyes."

They watched, but got no response from the patient other than the now fierce grip on his partner's hand.

"Come on Steve, time to wake up," Danny tried.

Steve could hear their words; knew they were talking to him. His brain was trying to tell his mouth the words to say, but he just couldn't make the connection. He swallowed and once again turned toward Danny's voice.

They saw the grimace when he tried to swallow and Makani asked Margaret for some ice. She spooned some into a plastic spoon and held it, ready to spoon it in.

Dr. Makani spoke again. "Steve, I bet your throat hurts. Want some ice? Can you open your mouth?

_Ice?_

_Yeah. Hot._

His tongue darted out and he tried to lick his dry, cracked lips, with little luck.

Margaret placed the plastic spoon on his lower lip. "Steve, open up. Here you go." She nudged his mouth open and spooned in a piece of ice. "There. Better?"

"Hmm…"

"He speaks," Danny said, beaming with relief.

Steve made another confused face.

_Danny?_

"Dan…"

The detective's face broke into a wide smile. "Yeah, I'm here, Steve. We're all here. You're doing good." He looked at Makani. "Right, Doc?"

The doctor nodded. "Amazingly so. Steve, I need you to open your eyes." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the hated penlight, waiting to see if his patient would comply. When Steve didn't respond, he gently raised one eyelid and flashed the light.

"N… no no no, don't. Hurts."

"Sorry, one more time." Heedless of the plea, Makani quickly checked the other eye.

"G'way."

"Not yet. We'll turn the lights all the way down, but I want you to try and open your eyes, Steve. You need to wake up."

"M'wake. No lights."

"The lights are down. Open up."

Through the entire conversation, Steve's grip on Danny's hand hadn't wavered and he grasped the hand even tighter. "It's OK, Steve, come on, open your eyes."

Finally he complied, opening his eyes to mere slits. His left eye was still swollen and bruised making it difficult to open, but the right one wasn't opened much more than the left. After mere seconds, he squeezed them shut again.

"Too… too many Danno's."

"Come again?" Danny questioned, a frown on his face.

"Steve, how many Danny's did you see?" the doctor asked.

He squinted open his right eye. "Two."

"Double vision?"

The left eye tried opening again. "More." He closed his eyes and groaned. "An' dizzy."

"All right, rest your eyes," Makani advised. "We'll check them again later. Steve, can you tell me your birth date?"

His patient was quiet for a few moments before replying, "March 10."

"You seem to know Danny. Do you remember his last name?"

Danny held up their firmly clasped hands. "You'd better know my last name since it looks like we're going steady!"

"Danny… Danny Williams."

_Danny. _

_Need to talk to Danny…_

Another look of confusion crossed Steve's face when he tried to remember.

"Important."

"What's important, Steve?" the doctor asked.

_Danny… Danny and Grace._

Steve released Danny's hand, his eyes opening once again as he jerked upward in the bed. The quick movement along with the unaccustomed change in elevation was more than his body could handle and he pitched sideways against his partner. Both Danny and the doctor lunged for him, holding him upright before they could lay him back onto the pillows.

"Hey, easy, Steve."

"Danny." Steve's breathing became quicker and panicked. "Grace," he panted. "Get to Grace."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Steve, calm down," Makani warned, placing his hand on Steve's chest. "Slow down and breathe."

"Find Grace. Now. She's gonna hurt her. The crazy bitch wants to hurt Grace."

"It's OK, Steve. Grace is safe."

"_**NO! **_Go save Grace."

Danny laid his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Hey, really it's OK. Grace isn't here, Buddy. She's safe."

Steve's head shook back and forth on the pillow. "No, not safe. She's bad, Danny. Bad, bad. Don't let her get Grace."

"Commander, I'm going to insist. You need to calm down and breathe. I know you don't want a mask, or worse, being intubated again."

"I'm OK," he panted, opening his eyes to search for Danny. "Danny, go."

"OK, listen, Steve. Please calm down. Grace is in California with Rachel and Stan. Rachel called Sunday afternoon to tell me they decided to go with Stan on a business trip this week. I didn't have a chance to tell you, but I swear Grace is safe. I talked to her last night."

Steve whispered, his body reaching the end of its limits. "Not safe."

"For right now, she is. And I'll make sure we keep her that way. I swear."

"Call her."

"I will. I'll call. You just relax."

While they had been talking, Makani and Margaret had been taking Steve's vitals, checking him out. They upped the amount of forced air coming from the cannula in hopes that he would slow his own breathing.

The doctor said, "Steve, I'm going to give you something for pain so you can rest easier."

"No… no drugs. No more."

"You're not ready to go cold turkey, Steve. Your body is deeply bruised and you're muscles are cramping. Not to mention a killer headache, right? We've got a printout an inch thick on symptoms of overdoses from the drugs you were given. But more than anything, you need to rest. In fact, I'm going to kick out your friends for a while so you can sleep."

"Not yet." Steve opened his eyes once again. "Call her, Danny. Please… now."

Danny pulled out his phone. "OK, if it will help you settle down. Do you mind, Doc?"

Makani shook his head. "To give him peace of mind, go ahead. But then you're going to sleep, Steve."

As Rachel's phone was ringing, Danny muttered, "If I'm interrupting something important, so help me, _**you**_ get to explain why we're calling… Hey, Rachel. How's vacation?"

He could hear Charles screaming in the background and made a face in the phone. "That bad? Hey, I just wanted to check on you guys. Can I talk to Gracie?"

He paused a beat, and then said, "Huh? Then just where _**is**_ she?"

~~~H50~~~


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hi, guys. I'm trying to post this tonight and am having lots of troubles. I am on vacation in Parsippany, New Jersey and while the hotel has wifi, it is iffy. Last night we couldn't connect at all, so I'm trying to post this quickly. I spent the day in beautiful sunshine in New York City. New York actually fared better than New Jersey. Here, most of the restaurants are out of power and they are rationing gas. the downtown area was taken out by high winds. Luckily our hotel is ok with the exception of internet. Last year when Irene hit, the first floor was filled with water. **_

_**Anyway, this is a short chapter. It was supposed to have two more scenes added onto it, but I just didn't get them finished. And I apologize to Sockie and Sym for making changes after they read it, so any and all mistakes are mine... they did a wonderful job but I couldn't leave things alone.**_

_**and I will just be getting back from vacation next Monday (had a wedding last Friday night in Pittsburgh and we have another wedding in Washington DC this coming Saturday, so my daughter and I decided to take vacation for the week... not the best week for being in northeast, but we couldn't rearrange the trip) so I will have a chapter just as quickly as I can get it finished.**_

_**thanks for all of you who are continuing to read.**_

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 12**_

_**He paused a beat, and then said, "Huh? Then just where **__is__** she?"**_

"Danny? What's wrong?" Steve immediately asked, but his partner moved away from the bed to talk to his ex-wife.

Kono moved to Steve's side. "Don't worry, Boss. Everything's cool."

"No, it isn't. What's going on?" Steve tried to scoot up on his elbows. "Danny? Tell me-" The blips and beeps from the monitors began a fast-paced staccato beat and the doctor moved in closer.

"Steve, I warned you, calm down," Dr. Makani said. "Danny will talk to you in a minute."

Danny listened to Rachel, and then asked in a lower tone, "You let Grace go out with people you don't even know? Rachel, what were—"

"OK, OK, the dad works with Stan, I get it. Still, I don't think that's such a good idea. What? No, nothing's wrong. Well, there is, but we'll sort it out. Hey, out of curiosity, what the heck is wrong with Charles? He sounds like a screeching hyena." He listened again and then held the phone away from his ear. "Sorry… yeah, that was tactless. I am sorry Charles is cutting teeth. " Danny then asked, "Just for my peace of mind, could you give me the names of the people Grace is with?"

The color drained from Danny's face as he shouted, "Who? Say that again. Who is Grace with?" He looked at Chin, his eyes wide and frantic. "Dennis and Sandy Raymond. From San Diego. Daughter, Bethany."

Immediately Chin pulled out his phone and walked out of ICU while dialing HPD for help. Hopefully someone had a quick contact with the San Diego police department.

Danny ran his hand through his hair, turning around to stare at Kono. "I'll call you back, Rach and explain everything."

He hung up the phone and Steve began shouting. "What's wrong? Danny, damn it, talk to me." He finally managed to rise up onto his right elbow and grab hold of his partner's shirt. "Please Danny. Where's Grace?"

Danny blew out his breath and released his shirt from Steve's fist, allowing him to hold onto his hand instead. "OK, calm down. It could be nothing. She went to Sea World with some friends of Stan's. Rachel was with them, too, but Charles is teething and is screaming bloody murder, so she went back to the hotel. Grace is supposed to be back soon."

"Danny, you've got to find her."

"Chin is attempting to get in touch with San Diego PD. Just calm down."

"Danny, I can't calm down. What's wrong with you?" Steve called out in distress, getting more agitated by the minute.

"Look, Steve," Danny pushed him back down onto the bed. "You need to chill. Kono, please stay here while I check with Chin." He strode to the door and pushed it open. "I'll be back."

"Steve, let me—" Dr. Makani began.

"No way in hell are you knocking me out," Steve warned.

"Commander, please. You're readings are all over the chart. You need to relax."

"I can't relax, don't you understand?" He fell back to the bed and closed his eyes, reaching his right hand up to rub them.

"Are your eyes bothering you?" Makani asked as he stepped forward, concerned.

"Everything's blurry and I keep seeing double and triple of everything."

"We've already called an ophthalmologist to come check you out. He should be here soon."

Steve kept his hand covering his eyes. "Doc?"

"What do you need?"

"Doc? I don't. Somethin…"

His hand fell away from his face, landing on his pillow.

"Steve?" Kono questioned, looking first at her boss and then at the doctor.

Makani checked the beeping machinery, then checked the pulse in Steve's neck. He shook his head and glanced at Kono on the opposite side of the bed. "Looks like his body told him it was time to rest. Everything looks fine."

"Thank God," she breathed. "Hey, I'm going to just step out and see what's going on."

~~~H50~~~

Chin paced the hall after being placed on hold. Danny came up behind him. "Chin? Do you have anything?"

"Not yet. Are you OK, Brah? Can't believe you held it together in there when Rachel told you Grace wasn't there."

"Together? I am absolutely freaking out. But I didn't want him to see that."

They looked up when Kono met them in the hall. "What's wrong?" Danny asked.

"Doc says nothing, but he just passed out. What do you have?"

"Yes, I'm here," Chin said into the phone. "What do you—Nothing? Check surrounding counties."

"What?" Danny asked.

"No couple by those names listed in San Diego or surrounding area."

"Shit." Danny leaned against the wall. "I've got to get to the mainland." He moved away from the wall when his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he immediately took the call. "Rachel?"

He paused, a relieved smile quickly changing his features. "Gracie, hi. Where are you? Is everything OK?"

He let out a sigh and nodded to his friends. "So, you had fun? You and who, Beth? Right, Bethany. I'm glad. And you're going back after lunch? OK, sure, let me talk to mom."

While waiting on the line for Rachel, he glanced at Kono and gave her a thumbs up. "She's at the hotel with Rachel."

His attention was again diverted to the cell phone. "Rachel, is she OK? What? Their name is Redmond?" Danny turned around and beat his head on the wall, then turned to look at Chin who was once again on hold. "Dennis and Sandy Redmond. Got it. All right. Glad she had fun. Hey, I need to discuss something with you and Stan later, so I'll call back. Yeah, later today."

Danny disconnected his call, blowing out a breath of air, then muttering under his breath in a British accent, "Redmond, Daniel. I was close."

Kono hugged Danny and laughed at his accent. "Sounds like good news though."

"Yeah. Gracie had a good time _**with the Redmonds**_ and she's back with Rachel." He shook his head at the irony. "Could someone give me the odds on Rachel just pulling the name 'Raymond' out of the hat right in the middle of this case?"

"Las Vegas would love those odds," Chin commented.

Danny's hands chopped at the air before him. "Next problem I have is to figure out how to keep them away from Hawaii until we find this Chastity bitch."

Chin gave the San Diego police an all clear for the immediate future and hung up from his call. "_**We**_ will figure that out, Danny. You're not in this alone."

"Yeah, I know. Thank you guys."

"How are we going to work this? " Chin asked. "We need to get back to work, but someone needs to stay here. We can't ask Max again."

Once again, Danny leaned against the wall. This time in exhaustion. "Yeah, I know," he replied, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. He looked up just as the elevator opened and Max walked out and headed toward them.

"I have news," he stated when he reached them. "How is Steve?"

"He was awake and coherent, but fell back asleep. Doc said it is normal," Kono replied.

"Thank you for calling me this morning. It was a welcomed call."

"No problem, Brah."

"What's your news, Max?" Chin asked.

"I have performed both autopsies this morning. As expected, Barry Davidson died of an overdose. I found the needle mark on his wrist. Toxicology is inconclusive at this point. His brother Walt died from exsanguination after a bullet wound. And now that those tasks are complete, may I see Steve?"

"Sure," Danny replied. "Let's go. We're just trying to decide how we're going to work our shifts today."

"That is why I am here," Max told them. "I got to work early and completed needed tasks and am available for the remainder of today so that you can work on finding this… woman."

"Max, are you sure?" Chin asked. "I know you—"

The ME held up his hand. "No one will rest until this person is captured, so I am making myself available until she is. It is the least I can do."

Danny clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks, Max. I know he's in good hands with you."

"You are most welcome, Det… Danny. I do appreciate that."

They reached Steve's room, seeing Margaret seated by the bed. Steve was still asleep.

"Is he OK?" Danny asked in a quiet voice.

"Yes, he's fine. Dr. Makani did inject a mild dose of pain meds before he left. He said the commander could yell at him later for it."

"And I'm sure he will," Kono replied.

"Margaret, this is Dr. Max Bergman. He will stay here with you this morning."

"Doctor," she said, with a nod.

"Please call me Max."

"Hey, do you think he would go back to sleep if I woke him up for a minute?" Danny asked. "I've got some good news."

"Your daughter?" she asked.

He nodded. "Everything's OK."

"Then I'm sure he would want to know." She got up from the chair so that Danny could move closer.

Danny placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Hey, Sleepyhead, can you hear me? Steve?"

He got no response, so he leaned down and called to him again. "Steve? Wake up!"

"Nnnguhwa…"

"What the hell language is that?" Danny whispered, then shook his shoulder slightly. "Steve. I talked to Gracie."

Steve frowned. Then his eyes opened slightly. "Danny?"

"Yeah. Just wanted to tell you that Grace is fine. She's at the hotel with Rachel and we'll take care of her. Got it?"

"You sure?"

"I'm not lying to you. Everything is fine. Now, you go back to sleep. Max is going to stay here and we're going to headquarters. If you need anything, just talk to Margaret or Max. We'll see you later, OK?"

"Hmm?"

Danny stood back up and grinned. "I don't think he understood a word I just said."

"Yuh huh," Steve disputed, eyes closed. "Danny?"

"Yeah, Babe?"

"Take care of Grace."

"Don't worry. We will."

"Max?" he asked, his eyes still too tired to open.

"I am here, Steve."

"Thanks, Bud…"

~~~H50~~~

Three hours later, Danny hung up his phone and blew out a breath. He twisted his shoulders to work the kinks from them then stood, picking up his now-cold half cup of coffee. He left his office, heading straight to the coffee pot.

"Get things taken care of Danny?"

"Yes, and Stan and Rachel are still speaking to me," Danny replied. "They agreed to stay in California through the weekend. San Diego PD will provide discreet security whenever Rachel and the kids leave the hotel. Rachel has assured me she will take every precaution and won't worry Grace. But her one demand is that we catch this woman."

"Working on it, Brah," Chin replied. "And I think I might have something." He continued to filter through small photos on the smart board while they spoke.

"What's that?" Danny asked.

"Well, I thought that just maybe, Queens wasn't the first hospital Chastity went to trying to locate Steve. I got video feed from Tripler, thinking that might be an obvious first choice, since Steve is still military. And, this," he flicked his fingers over the screen so that a photograph would pop up on the overheads, "I believe is Chastity."

Danny moved closer to the screen to get a better look. "I believe you're right. Look, black gloves and same flowers. Short, dark hair with a red streak. We got her."

"I got her!" Kono shouted, coming from her office.

"So does Chin," Danny said, pointing to the overhead.

"Yeah, that's her," Kono agreed. "But I know how she got back on Oahu."

"Really?" Chin asked, leaning his hip on the smart table. "How's that?"

Kono laid out some papers on the table and then accessed her laptop from the computer table. "OK, remember, Danny, the neighbor gave me Chastity's sister's name and phone number? Her name was Loralei Brown. I ran a check on her and pulled her DMV photo." She 'threw' that photo up onto the screen next to Chastity's picture. "This is Loralei. Notice the resemblance."

"Most definitely," Danny said. "Twins?"

"No, Chastity is thirteen months older. But they look enough alike, so I began checking airline reservations under Loralei's name." A manifest from Hawaiian Air popped up on the screen from three weeks ago. "Chastity flew home to Nebraska, got Loralei's credentials, then flew back here as her sister." Finally, Kono showed them a picture of 'Loralei' coming off the plane in Oahu.

"I'm running financials on her right now, in hopes that she is using a credit card." Kono added.

Chin whistled. "That's mighty fine detective work, Cuz. Proud of you!"

Danny held up his hand for a high-five. "Way to go, Rookie. We might decide to keep you around."

~~~H50~~~


	13. Chapter 13

_**Hello, all. Sorry for ditching you last week, but I had just returned from vacation which was wonderful, by the way. New York and New Jersey really were hit hard in places, though To make up for no chapter last week, this one is a bit longer! And, thankfully, we finally make a little move forward!**_

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 13**_

They knew something was wrong immediately after entering Steve's hospital room. Both Max and Margaret were hovering over their patient who was tossing on the bed. Danny moved closer, quickly asking what had happened.

"His fever continues to spike," Margaret replied quietly. "And he has a killer headache that we can't seem to get rid of." She reached for a damp cloth and blotted Steve's forehead. "He's been in and out all morning."

"Danny?"

Danny moved closer when Steve rolled his head toward him, his sweat-dampened hair slicked to his head. "Hey, Babe. Not feeling so good?"

"… like shit." He opened his eyes and sought out his friend, but groaned and quickly shut them again. "And while I'm glad you are here, I wish there weren't so many of you."

"Did the eye doc show up?"

Max nodded. "He said the blurred and multiple vision should clear up once all the drugs are out of Steve's system."

"And remind me again when that will be?" Steve asked, testily.

"Soon," Margaret told him. "But some of the symptoms may linger for a bit after that."

"Can hardly wait…" He blinked at them once again, his voice trailing off as he began breathing faster, his breath coming in short puffs of air.

"Steve?" Danny asked, looking to Margaret in alarm.

"Room's… spinning."

"Breathe through it," the nurse told him, placing the cold cloth on his forehead and holding it there with her palm. Her other hand was flat on his chest. "Slow your breathing; everything is fine. We're right here, so just relax."

"Head… hurts."

Danny reached for Steve's hand, gripping it tightly. "Take it easy, Steve. How about taking something for the headache?"

"No," he said, squeezing Danny's hand. "No more drugs."

"Steve, come on, you just woke up this morning. You need something to take the edge off your headache, OK?"

"Makes me… can't think." He arched his back off the bed, trying to get comfortable.

"Let me cut the dose back to half, Commander," Margaret tried to bargain with him. "Please try it."

"Don't wanna be… knocked out."

"I promise it won't, but it will help you relax, which you desperately need. Just let me try it."

"Half… OK?"

Margaret opened the drug cart near the bed and took out a syringe, writing it down on the chart. Uncapping it, she inserted it into the port in the vein of Steve's left hand. "There, take some deep breaths and relax. It should begin working soon."

He shivered and she rearranged the sheet over him. Soon his breathing evened out and he relaxed into sleep.

"How long's this been going on?" Danny asked.

"Off and on all day," Max replied. "He has had severe nausea and muscle cramps as well. Not to mention dizziness and vertigo. Hopefully he can sleep longer now that he has taken some pain medication."

Chin clapped Max on the shoulder. "Have you had lunch, Brah?"

"I have not."

Chin motioned toward the door. "Then come on, I'm buying."

"Thank you, Lt. Kelly. I appreciate that."

"Kono, I'll stay here, you can go with them if you want," Danny told her.

She shook her head and sat down next to the bed. "I'm good. I'd rather stay with the boss for a while."

They sat with him for half an hour before he woke back up, squeezing his eyes shut before blinking them open. "Hey, Kono."

"Hey yourself," she told him, squeezing his arm. "Feeling any better?"

Steve sighed while trying to get more comfortable in the bed. "Yeah, maybe. Danny, tell me you're close to catching this bitch."

"Why don't we keep this discussion until you're feeling better, Steve?"

Steve shook his head, and then grimaced again. "Take my mind off… this. Tell me what's going on."

"OK," Danny replied, glancing at Margaret for her blessing. "This morning I persuaded Rachel and Stan to stay in California until the weekend. So, Grace is safe. And while I was doing that, Kono and Chin made headway in the case. But… how much do you know? Do you even know who these people are?"

"Oh, yeah," Steve replied. "Her name is Chastity… and we killed her husband a couple months ago. And she's the craziest bitch I've ever seen."

"Yeah," Danny replied. "We got that."

He motioned to Kono to tell her morning's accomplishment.

"Chastity left Oahu after her husband was killed and we couldn't figure out how she got back until this morning. She went home to Nebraska and took her sister's identification and is now going by the name of Loralei Brown. They look enough alike that she was able to get through airport security. Now we just have to find her. Oh… and her middle name is Michelle; she used to go by her maiden name of Michelle Brown."

Danny turned when Max and Chin entered the room. "Just in time. Your turn, Chin to tell Steve about Chastity and the flowers."

The detective grinned and moved closer. "We learned that Chastity showed up here yesterday with flowers, asking if you were a patient. I had the idea that maybe this wasn't the first hospital she tried, so I contacted Tripler. We got good pictures from their cameras, one at the entrance and another at the information desk. Now, we just have to find her."

Steve reached up and rubbed his eyes, grimacing from his headache. "How about the guys with her? They seemed pretty dumb but they followed her orders."

Danny noticed his friend's discomfort. "Hey, let's take a break. We can talk about this later."

"That's a very good idea," Margaret added. "Why don't you relax a bit?"

"I'm good," Steve said, dropping his arm back to the bed.

"No, you're not, Boss," Kono argued. "Let's take a few minutes." She rubbed his shoulder, trying to get him to relax. "We'll be here."

"It's hot in here," Steve stated, once again reaching his hand up to wipe sweat from his forehead. "Why's it so hot?"

"It's your fever, Commander," Margaret reminded him, reaching for another cool cloth. "Let me try to get you a little more comfortable. You can even take a little nap."

"No… not sleepy."

"Shh. Just rest." She smiled as his breathing pattern slowed and in spite of his protests, he dropped off to sleep again.

Max noticed that he was sleeping and explained to Chin, "He has been falling asleep like this all morning. He'll wake again in just a few minutes."

"So this will last a while?" Chin asked, continuing the earlier conversation.

Max nodded. "It is hoped the drugs will be flushed in another 48 hours; unfortunately, the symptoms will persist for several days."

Margaret added, "And he is already being very stubborn. The muscle cramps are painful, but he doesn't like any of the pain meds. Dr. Makani insisted and while they had a battle of wills, the doctor finally won with a lesser dose. They do help with the cramps, but haven't touched his headache. But he is adamant that we don't knock him out."

"After what he's been through, I understand that," Kono said.

"Yeah." Danny nodded his agreement, thinking of what Steve had endured at Chastity's hand.

Steve suddenly jerked and grunted, drawing up his knees as he groaned.

"Commander?" Margaret quickly leaned over him.

He bit his lower lip and twisted, grimacing in pain.

"Where is it this time?" she asked.

"Calf…left..."

She pushed back the sheet and placed one hand on his shin, the other massaging his calf. He jerked again, squeezing his eyes tightly shut when she touched the cramped muscle.

"There," he told her. "Aaahhh, stop, stop."

"Better?" she asked.

"No, but that hurts worse," he growled.

"I know it hurts," she softly replied. "Just give it a minute." She continued rubbing the muscle until she felt him begin to relax.

"Thanks," he breathed, then tried once again to get comfortable. "So, what about the guys with Chastity?" Steve asked, as if no time had passed.

Chin smiled at him. "No need to worry about them. Wade Gutches took care of one on the roof last night and we took the other into custody."

Steve's eyes opened wide before he squinted at them once again. "On the roof? Here?"

"Yeah," Danny replied. "We can only assume they were going to steal the vaccine before we got it to you."

"But you have one of them? Has he talked?"

Chin shook his head. "Chastity got to him in lock up earlier this morning, claiming to be his lawyer. They found him poisoned in the holding cell."

Steve rubbed his hand down his face, sighing at the news. "You know, there's only one thing we can do," he told them.

"And what's that?" Danny asked.

Apparently it was 'go to sleep' because that's just what Steve did.

"Like I said," Max told them. "He has been falling asleep in the middle of conversations all morning."

"I can see that," Danny replied.

"Don't make fun of him," Margaret warned them. "He can't help it!"

The detective held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not making fun, I swear. But right in the middle of a thought, he goes to sleep? And now I have to wait until he decides to wake back up before he finishes it? If you ask me, that's rather rude." He smiled at the nurse when she opened her mouth to argue with him. "Just kidding," he told her. "I'm just thankful he's even this much with it. I didn't know what to expect."

"He's going to be fine," Margaret assured them. "Just give him time."

"Danny, I want to go back and talk to Chastity's former neighbor again," Kono told him. "Maybe she has seen or heard from her, or she could have remembered something else to tell us."

"OK, good thinking."

"I'll go with her," Chin said. "And we can check to see if we have any hits on Loralei's credit cards."

Danny nodded. "I want to talk to Dr. Makani and then I'll head back to HQ. Keep me posted."

"Always," Kono replied. "Take care of him."

"Always," Danny grinned and threw the word right back to her as she and Chin left ICU.

"Break me outta here."

Danny turned back to the bed. "Steve?"

"Yeah."

"What are you talking about?"

"I told you. There's only one thing we can do. Break me outta here."

"That conversation was ten minutes ago."

"I would advise you to just go with it, Detective," Max warned him.

"Come on, Danny, think about it. She's already been to the hospital. Who knows how many people she could hurt in here. I need to go home. We need to draw her out."

"Excuse me," Margaret interrupted. "Commander, I hope you don't think the doctor will simply release you. You are in ICU for a reason."

"I'm OK."

She huffed. "Of course you are. Just get the notion of going home out of your head, young man!"

He ignored her. "Danny, listen. You know what I'm saying is true. Who knows what this woman has planned. She could hurt an entire floor of people… or more. These drugs can be airborne. She told me she has the capability."

"Steve, while I see your point," Danny began, "we aren't using you to draw her out. That's not going to happen."

"Then I'll check myself out," he threatened… just in time for Dr. Makani to hear him.

"Um, that's not going to happen," the doctor spoke quickly, glancing up from the file he was carrying. "No going AWOL. Period."

"Doc… this woman is bad news. We can't protect the entire hospital."

"I understand that, Commander, I really do. But you need to realize that you are still a very sick person. And have no business being anywhere out of that bed."

"Danny… please. Help me out, here." He managed to look his partner in the eye. "I'm begging you. Please."

The detective sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. "Doc, can we sit down and discuss what options we might have?" Glancing back at his partner, he made it clear, "For the future, Steve. Not this moment."

Makani looked at Steve and just shook his head before turning back to Danny. "We can talk, but I'm not making any promises about anything. Leaving the hospital really isn't feasible at all. But I'll sit down with you and argue about it. We can meet in the conference room."

"No!" Steve told him. "You can meet right here."

The doctor shook his head in defeat. "I have to do rounds right now. When I'm finished, I'll be back. You get some rest," he ordered.

As Dr. Makani left, Margaret shook her head in disbelief. Staring at her patient and his friends, she remarked beneath her breath, "I think you're all nuts."

"I heard that," Steve remarked, a grin on his face. "And I'm sick of people telling me to rest."

"You were supposed to hear it," she retorted. "Now… take a nap! And you all, shoo." She pointed to the door. "The commander needs some quiet."

~~~H50~~~

Danny and Max returned several minutes later to find Steve still asleep. "Has Dr. Makani been back?" he asked Margaret.

"Not yet," she replied. "And I may have to leave during this meeting because if you decide to get him out of here, I will probably get mad. At all of you! He really needs to stay here," she told them.

Danny nodded his agreement. "I don't disagree, but sometimes there are extenuating circumstances. How's he doing right now?"

"Been asleep off and on since you've been gone. He has woken up and asked me three times what was taking the doctor so long, so you may get the same question."

Danny nodded and sat down next to Max. "It's like talking to a child with ADD."

"No poking fun, remember?" the nurse reminded him as she walked out the door.

Danny just grinned at her and waited patiently for Steve. Ten minutes later, his eyes opened.

"Is Danny back yet?" Steve struggled to focus his eyes, searching for the nurse.

"Yes, he is," Danny replied, watching as Steve turned his head, then made a face and wrapped both arms around his stomach. "Hey, Steve, whoa, you OK?"

"Um… cramps again."

"You gonna hurl?"

Steve made another face. "Nothing in there. Did that this morning."

"Wait, let me get the … oh, here is Margaret," Max said as the nurse came back into the room.

She immediately took charge, reaching for the pink emesis basin. "Do you need this?"

Steve jerked his head in a negative move, eyes squeezed tightly shut. "It'll pass." He tried rocking on the bed, drawing up his legs as the pain continued.

Margaret uncapped a syringe and opened a pre-moistened alcohol swab, using both on Steve's backside when he rolled to his side in pain.

"Ouch! Stop that!" He remained in that position until the nausea began to abate, finally relaxing his legs and rolling onto his back.

"Danny, where's the doc?"

"Be patient, Steve. He hasn't come back yet."

Steve was sleeping yet again when Makani returned, pulling in another chair on rollers with him. Before sitting down, he checked Steve's chart. "You got some anti-nausea meds in him?"

Margaret nodded. "I did not ask," she replied. "With all this talk of going home, it is my medical opinion that he isn't in his right mind; therefore he can't make decisions for himself."

"You can have that argument with him," the doctor replied.

"I intend to."

"OK, Danny might as well wake him up. We better not start without him."

Danny gripped Steve's shoulder. "Hey, Sleeping Beauty, the doc's here. Want to wake up now?"

"Huh… yeah. M'awake." He rubbed his eyes and then squinted at his partner. "Doc, I need—"

Dr. Makani held up his hand. "OK, I want to go first. And since I'm the one holding all the cards, I can do that. Now… I understand the need for safety for other patients. It is my duty to keep them as safe as possible. And I know that this woman who has it in for you is definitely bad news. I get it. But, on the other hand, you are also my patient, and I can't in good conscience send you home."

"I'll be fine," Steve began. "And I could sleep in my own bed."

"But would you?" Makani pointedly asked. "Remember, Commander, I've had you as a patient before. You don't always … how should I put this? You use rules very loosely and stretch the truth as it suits you."

Steve had his mouth open to protest and Makani waved his finger in the air. "I dare you to disagree with me."

"Smack," Danny mumbled with a grin. "He's got you there, Steve."

"May I make a suggestion?" Max offered. "If and when you decide to allow Steve to leave, I would continue what care I could perform at home. And with Danny and the rest of the team, he would not be left alone."

"See!" Steve jumped on that offer.

"Before I can even consider this, there are things you need to do, Steve."

Steve ran his hand over his eyes and closed them. "Like what?"

"I understand you took half a dose of the meds for the headache," the doctor began. "I'd like you to continue that."

Steve sighed "OK, but only half doses."

"And you need one now."

"You'll knock me out," he argued.

"No, what it does is relax you enough so that you can sleep. There is a difference."

Margaret retrieved the syringe and emptied it into the IV line.

"OK, done," Steve said. "What next?"

"We'll get rid of some of the IVs and the Foley. You will need to eat something—"

"I'm not hun—"

"You need to eat something and keep it down," the doctor continued, ignoring the interruption. "And when the Foley is out, you'll have to prove to me that you can go on your own."

"I can go," he griped.

"Also—"

Steve sighed. "There's more?"

"Yes, we're going to sit you up and see if you can stay upright without falling out of bed. The vertigo will continue to be a problem for a while."

"Anything else?" Steve asked, yawning in the process.

"Yes, you understand that Max and Danny are in charge. No going off on your own."

"Thank you, Doctor," Danny told him. "You remember that one, Steve." He glanced at his partner, who was sound asleep. "Great, he will argue no one told him."

"Let him sleep for a while," the doctor told them. "But we can work out some more details without him. You can fill him in later."

"Agreed," Danny replied. "And I have some ideas that he won't like, but for the time being, I think this is the best way to go…"

They went over details while Steve slept on.

~~~H50~~~

"So, when do I leave?" Steve asked upon awakening.

"Not immediately," Williams replied. "But we're working on it."

"Well, let's get it done. I need to go home."

Margaret took his temperature once again and mumbled, to no one in particular, "You may need a lot of things, but being at home certainly isn't one of them! Danny, the doctor will be here in just a moment, can you please step outside for a bit?"

"Sure," he replied. "I'll be back, Steve."

"Where'd Max go?" Steve asked.

"Um… he had an errand to run. We'll see him later."

With that, Danny scurried from the room before any more questions were asked.

~~~H50~~~

When Danny next saw his partner, the bed was slightly raised and the room was darkened.

"You awake?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah. Trying to get past the dizziness when I open my eyes."

"How's it working?"

"Not so great," he replied, covering his eyes with his arm.

Margret once again entered the room. "Do you need more Phenergan?"

"Look, I got rid of that awful needle jammed in my neck. Let's just nix all the drugs, OK? I'm going home."

"Just because that needle is out, doesn't mean we're finished, young man! And we both know you would feel better after taking it."

Steve sighed his agreement, holding out his arm for her.

"Nope, roll over a bit," she told him. "This is the cheek one."

"Would I hurt your feelings if I say I won't miss you?" Steve asked her sweetly.

Glancing at Danny, Margaret replied, "You're not hurting my feelings at all. Just be careful what you wish for."

"Looks like you got rid of some other 'items', too," Danny remarked in an attempt to halt an argument. He nodded toward the side of the bed where the catheter bag had hung."

"Not a moment too soon," Steve replied, holding up his arm, showing the IV still in place on his hand. "This is the last one."

"Which is staying put," Margaret added. "I'm having Dietary make you a tray since you didn't touch lunch earlier. Remember, that was one of the doctor's rules for leaving. Food intake and urinary output. I'll be watching both."

~~~H50~~~

Steve woke from a nap and blinked the fuzziness from his eyes, focusing on his partner. "Don't move for a second," he muttered, staring, and then smiling. "Because right now, there's only one of you here!"

Danny nodded and smiled, listening to Steve groan.

"I said, 'don't move'. You're back to triplets."

"Sorry about that. Doc said it would get better soon. How's the dizziness?"

"Not so bad now. And that stuff they made me eat stayed down. Barely." Steve touched the button to raise the bed, squeezing his eyes shut until it had stopped moving. He blinked, satisfied that his world was still upright. "So, what's the plan? I did what they wanted. I ate, I didn't puke, I can see… sort of."

"Ready to pee?"

"Don't gotta."

"Well, if you want to leave, you'd better 'gotta' soon."

"So, when do you spring me?"

Danny leaned in closer. "We're keeping the details quiet, but you should be out of here around six or so. I just don't want anything leaking out. We don't know whose ears could be around."

Steve huffed. "Whatever. It's not like *I* plan to leak it."

"I know that."

"Do you have my clothes?"

Danny shook his head. "You're not getting them yet. We decided to keep you like you are so you'd still look like a patient, not that it's all that hard to believe. We'll have clothes waiting for you.

"OK, I guess that makes sense," Steve agreed.

Margaret came into the room carrying a plastic urinal in the same ugly pink color as the emesis tray. "I brought a friend," she told him, with a smile that he deemed as evil. "Need any help?"

His look gave her the answer.

She pointed her thumb behind her. "Danny, give us a few."

Danny grinned while making tracks for the door. "Good luck, Steven! See ya."

~~~H50~~~

"What time is it?"

"Steve, it is five minutes later than the last time you asked."

"Where's my watch? Jeez, they took everything."

"Steven, if you recall, when you arrived, you were buck nekkid."

He paused and thought for a moment. "But I always swim in it. That was a Zodiac Sea Dragon. Cath gave it to me a couple years ago."

"Sorry. We can check with Max. Maybe he has it."

"Yeah, but I don't remember anyone taking it…. And I remember it all."

Danny sighed and spoke quietly. "You know, we're going to need to get your statement soon, don't you?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

Danny snorted and Steve turned to him, getting his attention. "Hey. I can do it."

Danny nodded. "OK. We'll take care of it," he said just as his phone dinged. He pulled the phone from his pocket and said, "Williams," then listened to what was being said. With a nod, he replied, "Got it. See you soon." As he hung up, he stood, just as an orderly wheeled a gurney into the room.

The orderly reached for the name band on Steve's wrist, checking his name for verification against the chart he held. "Commander McGarrett, my name is Keno and I've got you scheduled for a CT scan." He raised the bed to the height of the gurney when Steve began to protest.

Steve looked at Danny. "I'm not scheduled for tests today," he argued.

Danny nodded, urging his partner. "Just go with it, Steve."

"But-"

Margaret intervened, coming to help him get settled onto the stretcher. "Commander, it's best not to argue, all right?"

Danny leaned down and spoke quietly. "Come on, Steve, this is your ticket out."

"No more discussion then," Steve grinned at him.

They got him settled on the gurney and Margaret patted his shoulder. "You're fine, Commander. It is a short ride." She pulled the sheet around him and smiled. "There you go."

~~~H50~~~

"Danny, you know, this isn't a covert op. I'm just going home!" Steve said as the elevator doors closed.

"Patience, Steven. And pipe down. We're trying to do this without attracting attention."

Steve settled on the gurney and glanced toward the orderly, who was the only other person in the cab. "OK, good point, I guess."

"Of course it is. Now behave." The doors opened and the gurney was pushed into the hallway.

"Wait! Did that sign just say 'morgue' on it?"

Danny placed his hand on Steve's shoulder. "Yes, it did, but I swear, we are just passing through. We're going out through the sub-level entrance." Danny could _**feel**_ his friend's anxiety. "Not stopping, Steve, I swear."

"There's gotta be more doors down here, Danny. Come on—" His breaths began to once again come in short puffs of air.

Dr. Makani opened the double doors for them. "How're you doing, Commander?"

"We're stopping for a minute," Danny told him. "Come on, Steve, breathe."

"I just… don't—I can't go…"

Makani checked his pulse, finding it racing. "Hang in there, Steve. Just relax. If you need something, I can get some Valium."

"No! Thanks… but just… give me a minute."

Danny kept his hand on Steve's shoulder, rubbing small circles on it. "Don't sweat it, Steve, I swear we are going in this door and straight out to the outside."

"You're sure?" Steve asked, eyes squeezed shut.

"Positive. Just keep your eyes closed."

Makani added, "Steve, we can also wait until tomorrow. You don't have to do—"

Steve raised his arm and grabbed the doctor's sleeve. "No! I'm OK. I swear, it's just a room, right? No big deal," he told himself. "Just got a little freaked, but let's go."

"OK, if you're sure," Makani told him. "We'll be quick." He walked ahead and pressed a button on the wall and the double doors to the dock swung open with a vacuum-sounding whush. The orderly pushed the gurney ahead, Danny's hand still gripping his partner's shoulder. After a look and an all-clear from Danny, the orderly pushed the gurney through the door. They halted outside the ambulance to lower the gurney before the orderly and Dr. Makani pushed it inside. Danny jumped in and the orderly nodded to him.

"I've got an unmarked car in the lot. I'll follow at a distance," the "orderly" who had guided the gurney told Danny.

Danny nodded. "Thanks, Keno."

"Who is he? Not an orderly." Steve asked, raising his head, trying to see what was going on.

"Another cousin, I think. Chin found him. Lie down and relax, Steve. Everything's fine." Danny moved back toward the door and retrieved a tote bag with one hand, then reached out his other hand for another bag. "Got everything?" he asked.

"I believe so," a female replied, climbing in behind her supplies.

Steve's head shot up once again. "Wait! What are you doing here? This wasn't part of the deal," Steve began to argue.

"Hush, Steven. After you fell asleep, we negotiated… and Margaret is an integral part of that."

"I don't need—"

"Good luck," Makani interrupted with a grin as he closed the ambulance's doors.

Danny keyed the intercom to the front of the truck. "We're ready. Let's move."

Steve was attempting to glare at Margaret. She glared right back. "I'm here and you can't do anything about that, so why don't you just relax and get over it?"

"Danny, what other _**surprises**_ do you have up your sleeve?"

"Just calm down, Steve. We've got everything under control." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the ambulance swerved, causing them to grab the sides.

"Who the hell is driving this thing?" Steve muttered, one hand over his eyes.

"Ah, I believe that would be Max," Danny admitted. "He was really excited about getting to drive. And… I did say we would see him later."

Steve groaned. "You've seen him drive!" he retorted as the vehicle sped up. "This is part of your 'everything under control'? He's probably gonna play with the lights and sirens next."

And the siren began to blare.

"What'd I tell you?!"

"Commander, just relax and we'll be at our destination soon."

He sighed and kept his forearm over his eyes. In a resigned tone, he told her, "You know, since you're coming home with me, you can call me Steve."

She smiled and tucked the sheet around him. "All right, Steve, get some rest."

He dozed, at least he thought he did. And when he woke, they were still driving. He turned his head to seek out Danny.

"Hey, Babe, how's it going?"

"What kind of route are you taking? It isn't this far from the hospital to my house."

"Well, we are taking a round-about drive in case there was anyone trying to follow."

"As if an ambulance with lights and sirens isn't easy to track?"

"Don't be rude. And…ah…"

"What, Danny?"

"We aren't exactly going to your house."

Steve looked at him, allowing that comment to sink in.

"**Then just where the hell are we going?"**

**~~~H50~~~**


	14. Chapter 14

_**First, I apologize for the length of time it has taken to get this chapter. Part of the problem was the little detour Sym64 and I took with PITA. The other problem was the fact that this simply wasn't finished! **_

_**Also, any and all mistakes are mine... ALL mine. Sym64 has beta'd but my dear friend Sockie is uber busy at the moment, so I didn't want to bother her! Instead, I chose to send this tonight without her blessing. And I promise to be more prompt with future chapters!  
**_

"_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 14**_

_**Thursday morning…**_

Chastity Raymond stretched and rolled over in bed, glancing at the clock in her upscale hotel room. She smiled, realizing she had managed to sleep late and get some well-deserved rest. She had had a late night, what with having to get gussied up in a suit and go to the police station as Barry's attorney.

Poor stupid Barry. He had actually been happy to see her.

Now she was alone. Which really wasn't all that bad. She definitely wasn't grieving. Marcus' brothers were good for muscle and to do her bidding, but they had never been the brightest crayons in the box. She had had to stay on them repeatedly before they would understand what she asked. So, in the long run, she was probably better off without them.

Once she had gotten to bed, she had laid there and stewed, so angry at Steve McGarrett that she couldn't think of relaxing. The plan last night should have worked. Really, all she had asked was for Walt and Barry to confiscate the cooler containing the vaccine before it made it to the hospital. Should have been a piece of cake. But apparently they had tipped their hand and a shootout ensued. Whoever had been in that chopper had meant business.

And Chastity was grateful she had decided at the last minute to hang back and not go out on the roof. She had watched from the fourth floor waiting room windows and had managed to slip down the steps and out the side door when she saw Walt go down and Barry detained. She knew that getting the cooler was a lost cause.

So… she laid in bed and thought about Plan C.

And she has no doubt that Plan C will work. Just as soon as she figured out exactly what it will be.

After tossing and turning, she simply decided to let it go for the time being. McGarrett was sick as a dog, so she had time to make her next plan. After coming to that conclusion, she willed herself to relax and sleep soon followed.

Now that she was refreshed, she had to begin planning again. She couldn't risk another trip into the hospital to find out how McGarrett was faring and if the antivenins had worked. _That man must have nine lives, _she thought to herself. _But I have used up a couple of them!_ She smiled again and got out of bed, deciding how to plan her day.

Barry had managed to tell her that 5-0 was trying to find Michelle Farris. She hadn't been Michelle since her days in Berkeley, so hopefully they continued to look for her under that name. And even if they had figured out that Michelle and Chastity were one and the same, they thought Chastity was back in Nebraska.

Her alibi was solid. No one would look for Loralei Brown.

Or so she thought.

~~~H50~~~

Chastity watched the house. She had been here several times over the past three weeks, unbeknownst to McGarrett. _Damn, she was good_. That task force thought they were the best, but she had eluded them all… and had the photos to prove it. Unfortunately those photos were on the walls in the house that Walt had rented, so she knew she couldn't go back. They would be all over it today. Thankfully she had left nothing incriminating behind to tie back to her. There was something said for traveling light. And all the fingerprints they would find belonged to Michelle Farris.

This house was empty; that she knew for certain. While she had been watching the house, HPD had cruised in front of it three times. So, she wasn't the only one with a vested interest in anything that might go on there. On the second drive-by, the officer got out and checked the front door and glanced into the windows, walking around to the back of the house. When he had left, she had waited until his next visit, which was exactly an hour and 15 minutes later. HPD was nothing, if not prompt.

Chastity had walked up the back walk from the ocean on several occasions although she had never actually ventured inside. And she had the overwhelming desire to do so. She wanted to learn all she could about Steve McGarrett. Finding his Achilles heel could be his downfall. And she had slightly over an hour to find it.

This vendetta had begun against Williams, but she learned very quickly that these two didn't go down easily. Whatever she planned would have to be quick and include them both. No more of that 'an eye for an eye' bit… she was out for blood.

Chastity walked to the side of the house, glancing in the windows. She saw the security system and knew she could circumvent it. Like a "Jill of All Trades" Marcus had called her… she knew her way around locks, security and cameras. That night on the boat, she had bragged to Steve that she was good. And she wanted people to know it.

After the system was disengaged, she used a pick and jimmied the lock on the lanai door. Chastity stood in the office and glanced around, getting the 'feel' of Steve McGarrett. She wandered into the kitchen, opening the cabinets, then the fridge, checking out its meager contents. She turned her nose up at a juice concoction she found and thought about helping herself to a Longboard, but decided to wait and take one with her when she left.

The freezer held something better. Chocolate! Chastity quickly grabbed two of them, opening one and immediately popping it into her mouth. _At least he has good taste_, she thought, slamming shut the freezer and heading toward the living room. She checked out all the photos along the way; mostly old ones, but here and there a new one was setting out. One of the Five-0 team was framed on a bookcase and another of Steve and Grace Williams was on a table. _Note to self: once this is done, find Grace Williams._

She wandered upstairs, popping her head in the bedrooms, stopping when she found _**his**_ room. Chastity smiled and headed toward the dresser drawers, opening them all and finding that they were all neat and tidy; hell, the man even folded his underwear. Before she realized what she was doing, she had run her fingers through every pair in the drawer. Next was the drawer of tee shirts… no, make that _two_ drawers of neatly folded and stacked shirts. Socks were matched and folded together; nothing like the normal roll down of one sock top over the other to keep them together. Chastity slammed the drawer in disgust and shook her head while she headed to the closet… which was just as neat as the dresser. She stared at the solid shirts and rows of cargo pants on one side of the closet; the other side filled to a lesser degree with what she decided were his "non-work" clothes. _Man, this guy is boring._ Everything was in its place. Spying the half-closed door to the bathroom, she headed there and opened the medicine cabinet. Everything neatly in order, as were the two drawers on the vanity. Nothing exciting. Deodorant, shaving supplies, the usual. This guy didn't even keep Tylenol in stock.

Back in the bedroom, she sat down on the bed and took another look at the room, then smiled and lay down in the center of his bed. Folding her hands over her middle she relaxed, staring at the ceiling. After a few moments, she smiled. Her plan was gelling into place. It would take time, and she would sit back and be patient… which she hated, but it was necessary in this case. If this antivenin they had found didn't work, he would die, plain and simple. Probably a fairly quick, but very painful death. But if it _**did**_ work, he would be home in a few days. She could wait that long; she would wait for him.

Wait and watch.

She already knew what he would do just as soon as he was able. Head back to the water which had called to him every night. He couldn't stay away. And he wouldn't stay away this time either.

He would never think that the same thing could happen to him twice.

But Commander Steve McGarrett didn't know who he was dealing with.

She would be ready for him.

~~~H50~~~

"_**We aren't exactly going to your house."**_

_**Steve looked at him, allowing that comment to sink in.**_

"_**Then just where the hell are we going?"**_

Steve raised his head up and glared at his partner while trying to release the buckle on the gurney.

Danny grabbed his hand and stopped him. Steve's glare was still a bit skewed, but Danny saw the fire in his eyes and knew the man was angry. "OK, OK, calm down," he told him. "Let me explain."

"I'm waiting," he growled, dropping his head back to the gurney and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "Where are we going? And your answer had better be good."

Danny had very good reasons for not going back to Steve's house. Very valid reasons. Not that Steve would view any of them as remotely adequate. But despite his partner's obvious displeasure, he wasn't changing his mind.

"Still waiting."

"Listen, I know you want to go home. I understand. We all do. But—"

"Then why the hell are we not there?"

"Steve, listen—"

"Dammit, Danny, you said—"

"Quit interrupting me, Steve and let me explain. Your house is too risky right now. She got to you there once, out in the open. And…" he paused, hating to say the next part.

"And what?"

"Chin was at your house this afternoon to pick up some of your things and he's pretty sure someone has been inside. Nothing taken or anything, but things just seemed… off. Sort of. We want the CSU guys to go over everything before we go there."

"Well, this island isn't all that big, Danny. Where are we going?"

"A safe house. And before you blow a gasket, it is one I used once before when I was still with HPD. It is self-contained, safe and lacking in nothing."

"You're wrong there," Steve retorted. "It lacks my house."

Steve was angry. After his initial outburst, he was angry and very quiet.

He closed his eyes and shut down, since apparently everyone had conspired against him, from his partner and best friend to the hospital personnel.

Just kick him while he's down. It's not like this week had been a walk in the park.

He felt the vehicle back into a parking space, the beep rousing him from his funk. He kept his eyes closed and his face turned away from them, choosing not to even bother with a fight. They would do what they wanted anyway.

After he had woken up in the hospital, his only desire had been to go home and crawl into his own bed and lick his wounds. He was going to open the windows and let the ocean breeze wash over him. This afternoon after the discussion with Makani, he thought that would become a reality tonight, but guess again, McGarrett. Everyone else had other plans for you.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Danny. The doors opened and the stretcher was unfastened from the bus.

"Hey, Babe, we'll get you inside and in bed soon. Just a few minutes."

They rolled out the stretcher and raised it. He heard a chorus of "Clears" before they began moving, immediately entering an elevator.

"This might be bumpy," Danny warned him. "We're in the freight and headed to the twelfth floor, so just be patient."

_Funny, Danny_.

They knew he was pissed. What they didn't realize was that the minute they pulled the stretcher out of the ambulance, he had an overwhelming sense of vertigo and nausea. And knowing there wasn't anything inside to come up, he was going to fight with everything he had to not show them he was sick.

Guess he didn't do such a good job.

The elevator doors opened and he braced himself to be pushed out into the hall.

"Just a moment," he heard Margaret say before the sheet was pulled away from his hip.

"What's wrong?" Danny asked.

"Your partner is turning green," was her reply. Before he could even prepare for it, there was a prick on the side of his hip. "Now we can go."

"I'm sorry for the jerky movements, Steve," Max chimed in. "We will soon be at our destination."

Steve decided he was mad at Max, too. His driving was at fault.

He wanted to see where they brought him, but at the moment, he didn't dare even crack open his eyes for fear of being sick. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel his head swimming. After a couple twists and turns, they finally stopped and he felt the belts on the stretcher unfastened.

"Be patient, Steve, we've got you." _Chin? You, too? _He was moved from the stretcher to the bed where he felt the soft mattress hug his bruised body. _OK, that I like._

"Everyone out." Margaret's voice again.

"But—" Danny began only to be interrupted.

"Whatever your 'but' is, it can wait until tomorrow," she told him, her voice coming from across the room.

"Take care, Steve," he heard Danny say.

"Yeah, Boss, sleep well." He felt Kono's fingers trail down his arm before she also walked toward the door.

"Margaret, I will return with the supplies. I believe another unit of fluids is in order," Max told her as he also left the room.

The door was closed and Steve felt movement against the bed once again.

"OK, you can drop the sleep routine," she muttered. "I can tell that you're awake."

The scratchy sheet he had been covered with on the ride over was removed and she pulled up the softest covers he had ever felt against his body. _Sweet._

The bed beside of him dipped and she placed the back of her hand on his cheek. "When Max gets back with the medical bags, I'm going to check you out, but I'll be quick. Do you need anything before you sleep?"

Steve let out an aggravated sigh. "No," he finally admitted.

"You know, everything your friends have done is because they care for you and are worried about you."

He finally opened his eyes and looked at his surroundings. "Whatever. Where the hell are we?"

"A condo right on the ocean. Nice and swanky. We have the entire floor. And don't give me that 'whatever'. You know they love you."

Steve shrugged. "Funny way of showing it. Does that door slide open?" he asked, nodding to the wall of glass.

"Probably. Would you like it open?"

"I…" he paused, debating whether to admit what he wanted.

Margaret touched his arm once again. "You what?"

He glanced from the window back to her. "I just want to hear the ocean."

She nodded and smiled. "Then, that's what you will hear. I'll have to make sure it is OK since apparently we have 24 hour security."

"If you have to ask permission, don't bother."

"Just be patient," she replied. Standing, she walked to the window, pushing it back and immediately heard Chin's voice.

"Margaret? Is everything all right?" He and a guard were making the rounds on the wrap-around balcony and stopped when he heard the door.

"Of course. But Steve would like to listen to the ocean. Would it be possible to keep this door open?"

Chin nodded and glanced toward the bed. "I think that can be arranged. We'll step up the guard on this side of the floor."

"Thank you," she told him with a smile. Returning to the bed she told her patient, "It does sound nice, doesn't it? Do you think now you can try and get some rest? Maybe in the morning you'll want to play nice with your friends again."

He gave her a ghost of a smile and closed his eyes. _Yeah, maybe. Then again, maybe not._

~~~H50~~~


	15. Chapter 15

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 15**_

_**Yes, once again it is late. I know that, but real life has been a kicker for the past week or so. Thank you to everyone who has kept reading even through the delays. And thank you for the wonderful comments you have sent to me. It is a very humbling feeling to read your feedback. This is sort of a "get from point A to point B" kind of chapter, but I promise you, there will be some action very soon!**_

_**~~~H50~~~**_

Steve rolled over onto his back and stretched as the last vestiges of sleep disappeared. His first conscious thought was that he didn't want to leave the cocoon he was wrapped in. The sheet and duvet were still hugging his body and he didn't want to let go of the warmth and comfort it afforded.

Unfortunately, nature was calling… rather loudly now that he thought about it, and he rubbed his hand over his face, trying to rid himself of the grogginess from the night's sleep. He opened his eyes and glanced around the spacious room, and then remembered where he was.

And why.

And his good mood went south. He had been kidnapped, hijacked and bushwhacked… in no particular order, and he was still mad as hell about it. Last time he checked, he was a card-carrying adult who could make his own decisions and didn't need his partner, colleagues, friends, doctor and nurse deciding where he was going to stay.

So, there. He could stay mad all day if he wanted.

But he still needed to pee, which was going to require climbing out of that nice, soft bed. He looked around again and saw the door to what he hoped was the bathroom on the side of the room. Two walls were made of glass, covered with draperies at the moment. He noted in pleased surprise that the breeze was still blowing in from the opened balcony door. The wall opposite the bed held double doors which led into what he assumed was the living area. The other wall held a closet and bathroom.

Steve slid to the side of the king-sized bed and dreaded the thought of sitting up. Up until this point, his eyesight was cooperating and he had no double vision, but he was afraid movement would cause everything to go wonky once again. But he wouldn't know if he didn't try, so he slid his legs over the side of the bed and managed to push himself up, first onto his elbow and then sitting upright. His head began to swim and he quickly held onto the bedside table, closing his eyes and breathing through his mouth. After a couple minutes of panting, he squinted open one eye. No double vision, so the other eye followed. Even the dizziness was clearing up, and other than his aching body, he almost felt normal.

So far, so good. He looked at the door once again which he estimated to be ten or so feet from the bedside. Piece of cake, right? He remained seated, gearing himself up for the trip. Unfortunately, during his pep talk, the door to the living room quietly opened and then shut; before he knew it, Margaret was sitting on the bed next to him.

"Going somewhere?" she asked, nudging his shoulder with hers.

"Bathroom."

"You know, you haven't been upright for about four days. I bet you had a major head rush when you sat up."

"Not too bad," he told her. "At least I'm only seeing one of everything."

"That's a step in the right direction. How's the dizziness?"

"Almost gone." _And almost a lie, but not quite._

"Your body's still pretty weak to try and walk that far," she reminded him.

He had his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. Slowly, he turned his head in her direction. "If you dare suggest that I can use your 'little friend' I swear I will chuck it out that window over there."

Margaret laughed. "I believe that solid sleep did wonders for you. You must be feeling better because you're full of sass this morning."

He snorted, then mumbled, "just tired of all this".

She stood up and put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you are. You remind me a lot of someone else I used to know."

Steve looked at her again. "A son?"

She shook her head. "My husband. He was a Marine and I lost him in Desert Storm."

He held her gaze. "I'm sorry."

She squeezed his shoulder. "Me, too. Every single day. Now, do you think the two of us can walk across the floor by ourselves, or should I call in reinforcements? It's your call."

Steve gauged the distance to the bathroom again. "Let me try it."

"OK, I'm game. But Steve, you know you have nothing to prove."

"Yeah, I do." He placed one hand flat on the bedside table and pushed off the bed with the other. She stood in front of him, her hands on his waist and he grabbed hold of her shoulder and managed to remain upright, although he wasn't steady on his feet.

"You're actually doing much better than I would have thought," Margaret told him. "How's the dizziness?"

"Going away. Let's try this."

She was amazed at his perseverance. While his gait was off, he made it to the bathroom door with his arm around her shoulder and her fisted hand tightly holding the back of his hospital gown. Once there, he grabbed for the door jamb like it was a lifeline and held on, leaning his head against his raised arm.

"Just a little further," she coaxed him. "And I would advise sitting down quickly. Do you feel like you're going to black out?"

"No," he told her. "Just like I've run a marathon." He grabbed for the vanity and held on, walking the last few steps on his own. "I can take it from here."

"I will pull the door closed, but I'm not moving, so I hope your bladder isn't shy."

"Well, it wasn't before _**that**_ comment."

He smiled when he heard her laughter on the other side of the door. Since she was in a good mood, he decided to press his luck. "Any chance I can get a shower?" He glanced longingly at the huge, walk-in shower in the spacious bathroom.

"Absolutely not!" she told him. "But I do have your clothes."

"Good. But I really need a shower."

"I'll see if we can get a shower seat brought in—"

"I am _**not**_ gonna sit in a stupid chair to take a shower!"

"Then you will just stay sweaty and dirty!" She pushed open the door a bit when she heard him turn on the water. "Which will it be? Red, navy or gray?"

He glanced at her in the mirror. "Huh?"

"Your clothes. Red, navy or gray shorts? It's your decision."

He made a face, realizing what she was doing. "I don't care. Navy, I guess."

"Good choice." She set boxers, the navy shorts and a gray tee on the vanity and reached for the towel to hand him after he splashed water over his face and hair. He had to lean against the counter before he could stand upright once again and she pressed the towel into his hands, then prodded him down to sit on the closed seat. Margaret efficiently reached for the boxers and had them around his ankles before he knew what hit him. The shorts came next and once they were in place, she pulled both up to his knees.

"Now, stand up and pull them the rest of the way."

Steve blinked at her, but did as she said. "Thanks." He pulled on the neck of the hospital gown and asked, "Get me the hell outta this thing. Please."

It snapped down the back of the shoulder, so she unsnapped it and handed him his tee shirt, which he put on. Opening his eyes, he had to grab for the vanity when vertigo hit him. Before she could comment, he said, "I'm good" and took a deep breath. After making sure he could do it, he stood up and motioned for her to precede him out of the bathroom. "I want to see this place."

"All right. But promise me something."

"Yeah?"

"That you will take it easy."

"Yeah, yeah." He continued to hold onto the door frame and glanced up when the double doors opened.

Danny peered around the corner. "Hey! Did I hear voices in here?" He glanced at his partner and a smile covered his face. "Wow! You look pretty good, Sleeping Beauty. In clothes and everything."

Steve made a face at him and took a step away from the bathroom doorway, Margaret hovering behind him.

"Are you still mad at me?" Danny asked.

"Yeah, big time," Steve replied, reaching out his arm to snare Danny's shoulder. "And we will talk later, but right now, I need you to help me get out of this room."

They made their way to the doorway and Chin and Kono looked toward them, twin smiles creasing their faces.

"Hey, Brah. Good to see you!"

Kono rounded the kitchen bar and met him half-way across the floor, giving him a hug and guiding him the rest of the way across the room. "Come on, Boss, sit down and I'll make you some tea or something to eat."

"I haven't forgotten your part in getting me here last night, so don't think you're off the hook."

"Yeah, sorry about that, but, ah, it was necessary at the time."

"Uh huh. We'll discuss payback later." He sat and looked at each of his friends. "For all of you."

"Duly noted," Chin replied. "And, for the record, I'm sorry we did it, we know it wasn't wise, but we made a quick decision. I am _**not**_ sorry we got you safely here and given the same situation, we would probably do it again."

"I would like to go on record as saything that it wasn't my idea," Kono said, grinning at him. "But Chin's right... if we had to, we would make the same decision. And before you argue, you know you would do the same if it was one of us! Now what would you like to eat?"

"This still isn't over," Steve told them with a final glare. "Maybe I could try some tea. Not sure I want to eat yet."

"Let's take it slow," Margaret agreed. "But tea should be fine."

Steve glanced around the area. "Where's Max?"

"He went to work," Danny told him. "They are checking the drug in Barry's system to compare it with the drugs they found in yours."

"Whatever she used killed him."

Chin nodded. "She knows what she is doing. That much is obvious. This is one sick woman."

"Yeah." Steve took a sip of the tea Kono had set in front of him and nodded his appreciation.

"Do you feel like toast or anything else?" she asked.

"Thanks, but I'm not very hungry," he admitted. To change the subject, he looked back to Chin. "So, she's been in my house?"

The lieutenant crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter. "Yeah, I think so. How long has it been since either your sister or Catherine has visited?"

Steve tried to calculate the time. "Cath was here last month and Mary hasn't been back since she was picked up with the diamonds. Why?"

"There was a distinct smell of perfume in the kitchen _**and**_ in your bedroom. And I don't think it was your normal scent."

"You sure about that, Chin?" Danny asked with a grin, causing Steve to glare at him.

"Did it smell like flowers?" Steve asked.

"Yes… how did-?"

"It was her. I… remember the perfume."

"I was afraid of that," Chin said. "She was good. The alarm hadn't been tripped and things weren't out of place, but everything just seemed… off. There was a candy wrapper on the kitchen counter and another one on the bed. I didn't think you would have left them there."

"She was in my bedroom?"

"Afraid so."

"Remind me to take everything to the cleaners."

"We are having CSU go over your place this morning," Danny added. "I doubt they'll find anything but we can always hope."

Steve finished the tea and stood up from the bar stool, turning to check out the living room.

"Hey! Where you going?" Danny asked.

"Recon."

"Steven! We've taken care of everything. Trust me."

"OK, but I'm still going to check out this place." Steve let go of the counter and moved toward one of the couches in the middle of the room. He held on to it, walking behind it to the other end before stopping.

Danny put his hands on his hips, sighed and muttered, "You are the most stubborn imbecile …" But he crossed the floor and grabbed his partner's arm. "Come on, before you fall down. I'll give you the grand tour." They walked across the room and opened the first bedroom door. "This is where Kono and Margaret bunked last night." The room was decorated much like the one Steve had just left, but had two queen sized beds instead of the king.

"You said this was HPD's safe house? Why haven't we used it before?" Steve asked, leaning against the door jamb.

"Technically it belongs to the FBI. I was helping guard one of their informants before he was sent back to the mainland. I was able to call in a favor with one of their contacts."

They walked down the hallway and Danny opened another door, showing another room with two queen sized beds. "Max and Chin's room." He reached out and steadied his partner when Steve stumbled. "Hey, come on, let's go back and relax. You look wiped out; not to mention you're white as a sheet."

"No, I'm good. I just need to walk some."

"You're wearing yourself out," Danny 'fussed'. "Don't push so hard."

"Danny, I've got to move." Steve's voice was pleading. "You… you don't understand. I just need to… not be still. Put your hands in your pockets."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Just do it," Steve ordered.

Danny stuffed both hands into the pockets of his dress pants, waiting for the reason.

"Now say something."

"What do you mean, 'say something'?" As he spoke, his right hand began cutting through the air in tune with his words.

"See," Steve pointed. "You can't do it. Whenever you talk, you move. Just—just imagine _**not**_ being able to move, Danny. I wanted to… I tried, but I couldn't. And right now I feel like I have to move just so I know I can. I'm afraid if I stop… it's stupid, I know."

Danny's hands circled both of Steve's arms. "Hey, not stupid. I understand. And… I'm sorry. I know you feel you have no control. And I also know you are still upset about last night, that we took all control away from you. But when we realized there was a problem, you were asleep and then it was time to go and I know I shouldn't have surprised you like that, but… I did. It wasn't the best way of handling anything. I know that. Like Chin said, we all do. And believe me, Margaret blistered all of us last night after you were in bed. Trust me, we get it. She made sure of it."

Danny flashed back to the evening before when Margaret had forced them all to sit on the couch while she lectured them about boundaries, friendships and the feeling of losing control of your own self. When she was finished, they all felt thoroughly chastised. And for that reason, Danny had gone back into Steve's room in hopes of talking to him and letting him know how sorry he was. But Steve had been snoring away, not even aware of Margaret's protection.

"Your Mother Hen instinct kicked in again."

"I am not a Mother Hen!" Danny immediately shot back.

"Oh, you so are. Don't know how Gracie can stand it. She probably tunes you out just like I do."

"For your information, my daughter does _**not**_ tune me out! Never!"

Steve grinned, knowing he was getting under his partner's skin. "So, let's see the rest of this place."

"Tune me out," Danny muttered. "As if." They moved down the hallway a bit further and Danny opened the next door.

"Your room, I presume," Steve said.

"Well, yeah, I suppose," Danny said, running his hand through his hair. "But, I- ah, I slept on the couch in your room. Just to make sure, you know—"

Steve looked at him for a couple beats, then said, "Thanks."

"You know I'm used to couches," Danny shrugged off the thank you. "But I gotta say, you snore, Steven."

"Maybe so, but when you were on the couch at home, I could hear you above the blaring TV set _**and**_ the sound of waves. So don't talk to me about snoring!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now let me show you _**this**_ room." He walked around the corner and opened the double doors to what appeared to be the den. "This is the sweetest TV room I've ever seen." He stepped back so that Steve could enter and he began pointing out the amenities. "A pool table, that's a 60, I repeat 60-inch TV set, a wet bar, its own bathroom with a hot tub-"

"and a fireplace," Steve finished. "Not too shabby, but who the hell needs a fireplace in Hawaii?" Steve moved around the black leather couch and sank into the cushion at one end.

"See. You wore yourself out," Danny admonished, watching as Steve massaged his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand.

"Just a headache," he replied. "But I'm good." He leaned his head back and sighed. "Why don't you get the others and we can go over everything. I know you need my statement and you guys can fill me in on what you know about this bitch."

"You sure you're ready for that? It can wait."

"No, it can't wait. She's a ticking timb bomb and who knows what she'll try next. And I need to process what happened and the best way is to say it once, get it recorded and move on."

"If you're sure…"

"Yeah, let's kick this pig." Steve set his feet on the ottoman and got comfortable in the corner of the couch.

They all gathered and it didn't take long to set up the recorder on Chin's phone.

"The date is Friday, July 13, 2012. My name is Lt. Chin Ho Kelly and this is a deposition of events on the morning of July 9, 2012. Please state your name for the record.

"_Lt. Commander Steven J. McGarrett." A_nd Steve began to speak, not looking at any of them, but staring at his bare feet as he began to talk.

"_It was early, about 4 or so and I couldn't sleep, so I got up and went for a swim. I was out pretty far and I thought I heard someone call for help. I stopped swimming and listened and heard it again. The stars were pretty bright that night and I saw movement and swam toward the person. It was… a woman and when I reached her, she used a needle, or a dart or something in my neck. My arms… they began to… I mean, all of a sudden I couldn't move. And before I knew what was happening, there was a boat, and…" _he shook his head_, "I have no idea where it came from."_

_"It was the woman and two men. She was in charge… said her name was Chastity and we had killed her husband a few months ago..._

_She began to drug me… lots of needles. Maybe four or five, I lost count. I couldn't…"_

By the time Steve had gotten to the part about being in the morgue, knowing his friends were there, they all were ready for him to stop speaking. During the narrative, Kono had gotten Steve a bottle of water, which he took and sipped between sentences. When he began shivering, Margaret brought in a blanket and covered his shoulders. He grabbed the ends of it and held on, continuing to finish his saga.

"_The last thing I remember was in the ambulance. Max was there… and then, I don't know, … just nothing…" _He made a face, attempting to recall the events. _"I don't know what happened next." _ He looked up at Danny, confusion on his face. _"What was next? I can't remember what happened next."_

Danny quickly moved to Steve's side and touched his shoulder. "Hey, you were in the hospital. Max and Dr. Makani took care of you and got you stable. And then they gave you something so you would sleep for a while. You're doing good, Babe, trust me. It's all good. It's over."

"And I declare this little session over," Margaret emphatically stated, wanting to stop him a half hour ago, but knowing he had to get it all out. She reached over and laid the back of her hand on his cheek. "Your temp is spiking again, so why don't you stretch out there and get some rest."

Steve took a drink of the water and shook his head. "I'm OK."

She pointed to the couch. "It's either here or back in the bedroom. The choice is yours."

He sighed and handed the water bottle back to Kono, then turned, putting his legs on the couch and rolling to his side, one arm under his head. Margaret lightly covered him with the blanket and smiled, watching as his eyes closed the minute he was horizontal.

Margaret pointed to the door. "Out. All of you. I'll let you know when he's awake again."

~~~H50~~~

When Steve opened his eyes, he blinked at the surroundings and yawned widely, causing Margaret to set aside the iPad she was reading.

"Feel better?" she asked.

He pushed himself into a sitting position and rubbed both hands through his hair. "Yeah, no dizziness at all. And…" he stopped and thought for a moment.

"And? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just… I think I'm hungry."

"Well, that is good news," she told him, standing and moving toward the couch. "Want me to bring you something in here?"

He shook his head and then stood, smiling when the motion didn't cause dizziness or blurred vision. "I'm good."

She patted his back. "You're doing quite well, actually. How about a turkey sandwich and some fruit? Think you can eat that?"

In reply, his stomach rumbled and she laughed. "Turkey sandwich coming right up."

They moved back to the kitchen area and he started to sit back down on the bar stool until he realized his team were all seated at the dining room table. He headed their direction, asking, "What's up?"

"Well, CSU got nothing from your house," Danny told him. "It was clean except for prints we know should be there."

"I figured as much," Steve replied.

"Still going over your recording," Chin replied. "And hoping to catch something we can use."

"Got anything?" Steve hopefully asked.

"Not yet," Danny said. "But we're still working on it."

Margaret set a sandwich and sliced melon in front of Steve. "Want water or something else to drink?"

"Water's good. Thank you." He looked up at her, offering his thanks with a true smile.

Margaret smiled back and took the bottle from the fridge, setting it on the table before picking up her iPad, leaving them to continue their bull session.

"So," Steve began, speaking around a bite of turkey. "Anything you have questions on?"

"You said she killed two men in the past month trying to work on this concoction," Kono began. "I've made a roster of all military deaths here in the last month and there are six. Also, there are three soldiers who are AWOL."

Steve thought for a moment before replying. "First guy was on leave. Not sure what branch of service. The second one, she tossed overboard. He was Army and she called him Dougie. I think she said it was about two weeks ago."

Kono scanned her list once again. "Sgt. Douglas Barr. Went AWOL on July 2."

"He's not AWOL," Steve replied. He set down his sandwich in disgust and leaned his forehead into his fist. "I'm sorry, that's all I can remember. That's four people she's killed that we know of. In just the last month. Guys, we've _**got**_ to find her."

"We will. I swear we will," Danny told him. He pushed the plate of food back toward Steve. "Come on, try to eat some more."

~~~H50~~~

After his late lunch, Steve had laid back down in the bed… at Margaret's insistence, not of his own choice. His first meal had left him slightly nauseous and his temperature was causing chills. Margaret had said he would sleep for a couple of hours. For that reason, they were surprised when they heard him call out half an hour later.

"Danny! Get in here."

Danny bolted for the door, his weapon half out of its holster. "What's wrong?" Cautiously, he checked the room before entering.

Steve was sitting on the side of the bed, excitement on his face. When he saw the weapon, he held up his hands. "Hey, it's OK, but I just figured something out."

Danny sighed in relief, entering the bedroom, Chin and Kono behind him. "OK, what's up?"

"Did I tell you about the storage unit?"

"You said Chastity and Marcus kept the biological weapons in storage," Danny told him.

"We need to find that unit," Steve told them.

"How do we know she still has it?" Chin asked.

"The way she talked about it. I would bet on it," Steve replied. "And she said they had contacted officials of our government wanting to sell them the patent. We need to find out who she talked to."

"And what are we going to do with this information?" Danny asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Steve stood up and motioned for them to move back to the living area. "Let's go. We are going to set up a sting."

~~~H5~~~


	16. Chapter 16

'_**Emo 'ole Make loa**_

_**Chapter 16**_

_**Here is one more chapter for this story. Chapter 16... this thing never was intended to go on for this long! Here we begin wrapping things up. The next chapter will be the epilogue.**_

_**And once again, I need to thank sockie1000, sym64, sherry57 and tgikelly for their help and guidance in this. Also, thanks to all of you for the wonderful reviews. I do appreciate each and every one of them. And I will make a solemn promise to you, as readers, to never... I repeat NEVER start publishing a story until it is completed, or nearly completed, again. This one just about did me in. There were chapters I posted, having no clue what was going to happen next. That isn't a good feeling. :)**_

Max arrived at the safe house after work that day to find what appeared to be an Army battalion, a Navy SEAL team, Duke Lukela along with two HPD officers and three men in black suits in the condo. Unsure if it was safe to enter, he stood by the door before Kono looked up and waved for him to join them. Which he did… but only with trepidation.

"Don't worry, Max, it's safe," Kono said, smiling at the ME. She glanced around the room and added, "In fact, it's probably the safest place on Oahu right now."

He moved to her side and watched as McGarrett was seated at the dining room table, going over plans on the iPad. "How's he doing?"

"Worn out, but he won't give up. Making plans to catch Chastity and you know Steve, he won't back down… even for a few minutes' rest."

"Yes, well, we may see about that," Max warned.

"Ah, Max, don't challenge him right now," she whispered. "I mean in front of the others. Margaret has been keeping an eye on him. He's shaky, but he's doing pretty good. And she has already warned everyone that we are taking a break at seven, no matter what. I think everyone here is afraid of her."

Max nodded. "And rightly so. I will bow to her good judgment," he replied, and went into the bedroom to freshen up after his day. Returning, he gravitated toward Margaret and was caught up on Steve's day.

A knock on the door halted all talk around the table and almost everyone drew a weapon before the door was opened. The guard outside grinned at what greeted him. "Unless you want to shoot your dinner bell, I would suggest you stand down. Food's here."

They relaxed as bag after bag from the Noodle House was brought in and set on the breakfast bar separating the living area and the kitchen. The table was cleared of the evidence of their intense planning so that they could relax and eat.

While the food was being unpacked and plates were gotten out, Danny watched with interest the conversation over by the bedroom door. One which looked like it could become explosive at any moment. He wandered over to join Steve, Margaret and Max just in time to hear Steve hiss, "This is _**not**_ negotiable. It's my plan and I'm going to be there!"

"Commander, I don't think—"

"Max, no offense, but I don't care. I'll be fine," Steve told him forcefully.

"Hey, calm down," Danny offered, placing his hand on Steve's forearm. "Don't get your knickers in a wad. If all goes well, we'll make the move in the morning. Let's see how it goes tonight? OK, everyone?" He addressed Margaret and Max, and it was clear he wanted them to back down for the time being.

Margaret huffed, but nodded. "Agreed." She pointed her finger in Steve's direction, "but that doesn't mean I'm taking my eyes off you. And if I see you need a break, I'll pull you out of there, by the scruff of the neck, if I have to."

His look was one of 'I'd like to see you try', but she wasn't fazed by it and didn't back down.

"Don't think I won't," she warned.

Steve finally nodded and looked away in disgust. He hated this. All of this. These needless discussions sapped his energy and right now, he was so dead on his feet he was forcing himself not to sway or lean against the wall. He wasn't going to give her an ounce of ammunition against him.

But she knew. A whole lot more than he realized. Margaret turned him around and pointed him back toward the table. "I would advise a light meal – maybe white rice instead of fried. And not a lot of spicy food."

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed. "Not really hungry anyway." Once he was seated, she went to the kitchen and returned with a glass of milk and set it in front of him. With a look, she challenged him not to drink it.

~~~H50~~~

Chastity couldn't stop pacing. She glanced down at the burner phone in her hand. The one Major Winston had called her on. The same phone she and Marcus had used to contact the Army several months ago regarding the biohazardous drugs they wanted to sell.

She tossed the phone back onto the bed, adding it to the assortment of devices she carried with her. She was surprised when one of them began ringing, but curiosity got the better of her and she had to answer.

"_Hello?"_

"_May I speak with Marcus Raymond, please?" _the voice asked.

"_I'm sorry, but he… isn't available at the moment, but I'm his wife. May I ask who is calling?"_

"_Yes, I apologize. This is Major Don Winslow with the United States Army. Your husband called me earlier in the year regarding a business proposition and I wanted to touch back with him. If you could, please have him call m—"_

"_No, no, I'm sorry. Marcus died earlier this year. But maybe I can help you?"_

"_Oh, Ms. Raymond, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize. But he called about a rather sensitive subject. I suppose it is a moot point now…"_

"_No! I know why he called you. In fact, it was at my urging. Could you please tell me why it took so long for you to call back?"_

"_I apologize, but we do get many calls every month and only recently has this… information made it across my desk a second time. But, if what he said over the phone is true, I would like to sit down and see it first-hand. But since your husband is deceased, I don't—"_

"_I assure you, Major, I have what you are interested in. But in order to part with it, the price would have to be right."_

_"I understand." _

"_And everything would need to be on my terms."_

"_Again, agreed. But I assure you, all I want to do is discuss the possibility. And, of course, examine the ingredients or see evidence of a demonstration."_

"_That could be arranged," she replied. "Can I reach you at this number?"_

"_Yes, of course," the major assured her. "But one more thing."_

"_Yes, what is it?" Chastity asked._

"_My mission and this discussion with you. It never happened. Do you understand that?"_

_She laughed. "Yes, I can be very covert. I assure you. Now, let me think this over and I'll get back with you."_

"_Ms. Raymond, I do have to say that time is of the essence. I will need your answer within twelve hours. If I don't have it by then, I will be forced to look at other options."_

"_Understood."_

_~~~H50~~~_

Major Winslow hung up the phone and looked around the room. "Well, what do you think?"

Commander Gutches replied, "Seemed interested to me."

Chin shook his head. "The call bounced around a couple of towers, but I pinpointed it down near Sand Island. We didn't get an exact location."

Steve held out his hands, palms down. "That's OK. Everything's good. The storage unit we found is near Sand Island, so it makes sense she is staying there. She has no clue that we found her unit _**or**_ her chemicals."

The Bomb Squad had been totally amazed at what had been found once they pinpointed the storage unit under Barry's name. Not to mention the surprise on the faces of the Army, Navy and Intelligence. To say that Chastity Raymond had a small stash of chemicals was truly an injustice. She possessed enough biological warfare to remove the state of Hawaii from the Pacific.

But no longer. Unbeknownst to her, the Bomb Squad had entered the storage unit behind hers, cut through the metal wall and safely extracted her weapons which were now locked in steel drums in a government warehouse. Snipers were on standby, watching the unit until the plan, hopefully, would turn into action.

_~~~H50~~~_

Chastity threw the phone down in disgust. She had tried three times to reach Loralei and all three times, her calls had gone to voice mail. "Stupid girl. She can't ever remember to take that phone with her," she mumbled to herself. Chastity had wanted someone to talk to… to help her sort through the pros and cons of this deal. She had finally admitted to herself that it was lonely without Barry and Walt. Not that she would have done anything any differently, but at least they had been someone to bounce her ideas off of. Not that they had ever given her one useful answer or idea.

Part of her was elated that finally Marcus' dream would become reality. That someone agreed that his weapon had merit. But the other part of her was nervous. Was the timing just a bit too perfect? Could Five-0 have a hand in all this? She didn't think so… her 'friend' she had made in the hospital dietary department had assured her that Commander McGarrett was still doing poorly in his room in ICU, so she knew he wasn't part of the equation. Besides, she didn't think those guys would play along with the Army anyway.

So, maybe it was legit. And this was her out. Her bag remained packed and she had her… well, Loralei's passport ready to leave this God-forsaken place once and for all. With the Army bankrolling her plan, all that was left was to kill Steve McGarrett. Once that was taken care of, she would be free and clear, ready to begin a new life.

Little did she know.

~~~H50~~~

Loralei Brown sat in a dimly-lit FBI holding cell in Omaha, Nebraska, her right arm cuffed to a ring on the metal table in front of her. Two agents sat in the room with her and watched as her cell phone danced across the table, just begging to be answered.

"Want to tell us who is calling on that line?" Agent Martin asked once again. "Whoever it is seems fairly impatient to get in touch with you."

"Bite me."

"No, thanks. We'll just sit here for a bit more." He crossed his arms and grinned at her.

"You have no reason to keep me here!" Loralei yelled at him. "I've done nothing. At least I should get a phone call."

"Well, according to our sources," the female agent with Martin said, "You're in Hawaii right now, so officially you aren't even in this room. Therefore, why would you need a phone call? Now, if you chose to cooperate and tell us who is on the other end of that phone, maybe we can work out a deal."

Loralei glared at them and sullenly leaned back in her seat.

Martin looked at Anderson and grinned. "Looks like we wait."

~~~H50~~~

The cellphone setting in the middle of the dining table began to buzz. Major Winslow reached for it, saying, "this could be it."

No one said a word when he answered the call. "Winslow." He paused, then added, "Good to hear from you, Ms. Raymond. May I have your answer?"

They waited for him to get off the phone, watching him jot down notes, even though the call was being recorded. Once again, the call wasn't long enough to be traced, but it was still in the same vicinity as before – near Sand Island.

Once the call had been severed, he sat back in his chair and glanced at the group around him. "I think it went well," he commented.

"Either she has a stash of the drug with her or she will have to go to the storage unit prior to meeting you," Wade Gutches said.

"That's why I pushed her for a larger quantity," Winslow explained.

"Good thinking," Steve told him. "If she wants $500,000 just to _**show**_ you the weapons, she would expect you to want to see a lot."

The major stood. "And now I need to procure half a mil before tomorrow morning. Or at least make it look like I have that much."

"Let's hope we can stop her before we go in for a buy," Chin added, to which they all nodded. "We need to catch her off guard."

"Any other comments? Questions?" Steve asked, looking around the room.

Several negative replies and shakes of their heads indicated that everyone was set.

"Good. We reconvene at 0500 at the Sand Island HPD Substation. That should give us ample time to get in place before the 0730 meet with Winslow. Thanks, everyone."

When the room was finally empty except for the Five-0 team and their friends, Steve placed both hands flat on the table, steadying himself. "Thanks, guys. Good job tonight."

Danny moved next to his partner. "Yeah, it was, and now I'll be the first to say it."

Steve looked up and blinked at him. "Say what?"

"You're running on fumes, Steve, so get up from there and get to bed."

"I'm—"

Max intervened. "You're bordering on exhaustion, Commander and I suggest you stop while you're ahead. I will not be responsible if Margaret comes after you."

Steve glanced at the woman in question, who stood near the bedroom, arms crossed over her chest. "You heard him. Let's go."

Steve stood a bit unsteadily, but glanced at his friends. "Just so you know, if anyone has the idea to head out in the morning, attempting to leave me behind, you will find yourself on administrative leave so quickly, you won't know what hit you. I _**will**_ be there… with or without your help. Understood?"

Kono glanced at the others and then nodded, "Sure, Boss."

Steve moved toward the bedroom slowly, but under his own steam. Margaret closed the door behind them before anyone spoke again.

Chin shook his head. "He will fight every one of us to be there."

"I know he isn't up to it, but I think he needs to do this," Danny replied. "Max, think he can make it?"

"I agree. He will do everything in his power to take her down. And I understand his need to do so, but as I will be with him, I will have stipulations to what he can and cannot do."

"Good," Danny nodded. "Then you get to be the bad guy."

They all looked toward the bedroom when Margaret came out. "He crawled onto the bed, fell face first into the pillow and hasn't moved. I think he was asleep before he even reached the bedroom."

~~~H50~~~

"I'm not staying in this car!"

"Final offer, Commander," Max replied. "You agreed you would stay in the car before we left."

"This is ridiculous," Steve argued, twisting around in his seat to see Max. "This is my op and I'm perfectly capable—"

"Steven, calm down," Danny interrupted. "Yes, it is your op. And it's a good one. You thought of every detail. Now let us initiate it. You'll be here, but face it, you're not running on all cylinders."

Danny remembered his first glance at his partner this morning. His face was pale with a gray tinge, highlighting the bruises on his skin more so than the night before. Even with six hours of sleep, the man looked worse for wear than the previous day. And the way he moved proved to them that every muscle in his body was aching to match the bruising. But no matter how they argued, Steve was adamant that he be here.

"Steve, come on. You barely made it to the car under your own power. Please calm down and let us do the work. You've got an ear mic, so you can hear everything. It's gonna go down without a hitch. Got it?"

~~~H50~~~

"Down without a hitch" is certainly a relative term.

Their plan to take down Chastity at the storage unit didn't work since she didn't visit the unit prior to her meeting with Winslow.

So, Plan B was put into place.

And Winslow met Chastity at the front entrance to the storage offices. He was in place carrying a backpack filled with bills when she arrived at 0728. She came by taxi that she sent to the end of the island to wait for her call. When she exited the car, she held a gun in one hand and a six-inch long tubular vial in the other and walked toward the major who was standing in front of the closed office door.

She pointed with the gun. "The money. Open your pack."

"Hey, let's have a little faith here," he told her. "The gun isn't necessary."

"So, you're telling me you aren't armed?"

"Didn't say that, but I'm not waving a gun around for all to see. Could we do this a bit more low key?"

She laughed. "Somehow I don't think you want these weapons for the Army. Am I correct?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "What do you think? Now put away the gun. Please."

She shook her head and waved the gun once again. "Open the pack. Now. And just for the record, if you have a plan to double cross me, if I drop this vial, Honolulu can say goodbye to this part of the island."

Winslow showed her the money.

"Now toss it this direction."

"Not until I see what I'm paying for."

"The bag here. On the ground. Now," she ordered, holding up the vial as a threat. "Throw it. If you don't, you'll get your demonstration before you're ready."

She threw a key toward Winslow and reached down to pick up the backpack. "Now, walk. You can look and see what you're paying for. When I get the other half, you can take possession."

He picked up the key and she motioned for him to move. "Building G," she said.

Chastity cautiously walked in the shadows from one building to the next, watching the roofs for any sign of danger. Before they reached the last building, she saw a glint and screamed for Winslow to stop. He turned and was struck by a bullet in the upper stomach. He fell backward, spread-eagled on the ground.

She screamed, waving the gun around. "No tricks. I swear I'll use this and there won't be anyone left on this island. You, on the roof. Show yourself."

One of the rangers moved away from cover.

"How many more are there?"

He shrugged and she yelled again. "I asked you a question. How many more?"

"Four," he shouted back.

"Then I had best see three more people drop weapons and come out into the open," she ordered.

Commander Gutches gave hand motions to his team and the NI guys to remain in place, then motioned for Jacks who was on the roof opposite him. After a couple beats, Wade and Lt. Jacks both gave up their positions. At that point, Danny also motioned Chin and Kono to remain under cover. And then Danny came around the corner, his gun trained on her.

"Detective Williams! _**You**_ can come closer," she ordered. "We meet again. Unfortunately this meeting won't go like the last one. Because *I* have the upper hand."

"If you say so," Danny told her, moving closer, his gun not wavering.

"You know if you shoot me, the vial breaks," she warned with a nod to the vial in her hand. "I won't make it, but then neither will you… _**any**_ of you. So, if you want to live to see another day, I suggest you put down your weapon."

Danny continued to move forward, his eyes watching hers even though he caught movement in his peripheral vision.

She laughed, not fearing him in the least. "How's your partner? Still trying to breathe?"

"He's fine, thanks for asking," Steve told her, while his left hand wrapped around her hand holding the vial, his right forearm wrapped around her neck. "Drop your weapon," Steve told her. He was sure one of the snipers had a bead on her, and he himself could have shot her, but they couldn't risk it. Not with her holding the deadly vial.

She, of course, had no such qualms and fired at Danny who dove sideways. "I said drop it!" Steve yelled again, jerking his arm around her neck.

Chastity tried to twist away, her hand clasped tightly onto the vial, Steve's hand twisting with her. A shot went wild as she tried to shoot him and he tried to grasp her gun hand while keeping his other hand tightly around her hand and the vial.

Danny jumped up and moved in closer, ready to help tackle the wild woman to the ground. The gun fired again, narrowly missing him.

"Get back, Danny!" Steve yelled at his partner, the air knocked from his lungs when Chastity propelled him backward into the metal building behind them. He saw stars when the back of his head contacted with the wall. And he knew without a doubt, it was time to end this. She wasn't going to give up. In one quick and final move, Steve's arm angled, his hand on her neck. There was an audible snap and with her last breath, Chastity slid from his grasp, his hand still gripped around hers that held the biochemical weapon. She landed on the ground, her sightless eyes staring toward the sky, her head off-kilter from her body.

"Stay back!" Steve ordered while dropping down on his knees. "This thing's leaking."

Out of nowhere, two officers in Hazmat arrived. One opened a container for Steve to place the vial into. He had to physically remove it from Chastity's hand before he could put it inside the box. After getting a look at Chastity's reddened and blistered hand, they ordered everyone out of the area.

Danny moved in next to Steve and was ordered again to vacate.

"I'm not leaving Steve."

"Go, Danny." Steve told him urgently.

"You're funny." He got a good look at Chastity's damaged hand and then glanced at Steve's, seeing three watery blisters erupting on his palm. "Steve?"

His partner glanced at him and shook his head. "I don't know… it burns like fire."

One of the Hazmat officers held out a long, plastic bag and motioned Steve to place his arm into it, then helped him off his knees. "Let's move, Commander." A Hazmat unit moved into place and Steve was pulled into the back of the unit before it raced away, lights and sirens blaring.

At the same time a second unit swept in and secured the area and Chastity's dead body. Even lying death on the ground she was a threat. No one knew what she had been exposed to and how much of the chemical was still on her or the ground beneath.

Danny watched the men at work and felt sick. They had just saved Steve from this crazy woman. Only to have Chastity manage to infect him once again in her dying moments. While the others moved into the area from their respective spots on roofs and behind buildings, he motioned for Chin and Kono. "Let's go. Do you guys have this?" he asked, turning to the SEALs and the specialists containing the scene.

Wade assured them he would take care of everything as they raced toward the cars. Max was pacing in front of Danny's Camaro and held out the keys for Danny when he arrived. "I apologize, Danny but I could not stop him," he told the detective. "When he heard her call your name, Steve was out of the car in a flash."

"He got her, Max. But now he's been infected again. Let's go." Danny motioned for Max to get in the car and called to Chin and Kono to meet them at the hospital before he too sped off with lights and siren.

~~~H50~~~

As with any emergency room wait, they sat in the waiting area for what seemed to be an hours. After ensuring that none of them had actually had any physical contact with Steve, they were escorted out. Even Max wasn't allowed access beyond the double doors. When the doors finally opened, they jumped up to meet the doctor.

And stood face to face with a smiling Steve McGarrett.

"Miss me?"

They looked him up and down and could find nothing wrong with him. Other than the light layer of gauze wrapped around his left hand.

"Steve! What?—" Danny began. "I mean, how?"

He held up his hand. "False alarm. It was a combination of Borax, bleach, lye and I forgot what else they said. But other than blisters, it was harmless. I'm good to go. How's Winslow?"

"Bruised ribs," Max told him. "His vest took the bullet."

"Good," Steve told them, leaning against the wall.

After their initial thankfulness of seeing him, they could see how spent he was.

"Let's go, Brah," Chin told him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Our home away from home awaits."

"Oh, no," Steve argued, pushing off the wall and heading toward the door. "Home. I'm going home to _**my**_ shower, _**my**_ back yard, _**my**_ bed. In that order. And I dare any of you to say otherwise." He glared at them before he simply walked past them, knowing that they would follow.

"Who's going to tell him that Margaret will be there?" Kono asked.

"There's not enough hazardous pay available to take on that task," Danny muttered. "Max, how about—"

"I gracefully decline," the ME replied, heading out the door. "Kono, may I ride with you?"

"Hey, guys. Guys? Come on. Hold up."

~~~H50~~~

_**The epilogue will appear in a mailbox near you on Thursday. Mahalo, everyone!**_


	17. Chapter 17

**_'Emo 'ole Make loa_**

**_Chapter 17 - Epilogue  
_**

_**When I started this story, little did I know it would take FOREVER to finish it. It was going to be short... ha! and to the point... double ha! But finally, it is finished. Thank you to everyone who stuck with it. I know I lost several readers when I changed the rating in Chapter 3, but that's OK.**_

_**I can't finish the story without another shout out to the people who got me through this: Sockie1000, Sym64, Rogue Tomato and Sherry57. These ladies are the ones I lean on for help and inspiration. I hope you know that this wouldn't be any fun without you, so you're stuck with me!  
**_

_**~~~H50~~~  
**_

Danny pulled into the drive shortly after seven on a sunny, breezy Monday morning. He stopped behind Steve's blue pick-up, watching his partner root around in the cargo cabinet in the back. Danny was still amazed watching Steve… he was healthy, mobile, and well… alive. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the memory of Steve lying on that metal slab in the morgue out of his mind. Danny continued to wake at night in a sweat-drenched panic before he remembered that it was over... that Steve was really alive. And that Chastity was really dead. Which he considered to be a win/win situation. His nightmares were a secret he could never tell his partner because he knew that Steve had his own plethora of nightmares to last a lifetime. He didn't need to add Danny's list to it.

Right now he watched as his partner stretched and picked up a black case that looked suspiciously weapon-sized and set it aside to reach for a black, zippered bag. The bag was removed, the weapon-of-McGarrett-destruction went back into the hold and then Steve dropped the lid on the truck container, locking it back into place. He looked up and waved at Danny, saying, "just a sec," as he ran back to the front door. After quickly leaning in to set the alarm, Steve slammed the door, picked up his black bag and walked to the passenger seat.

Steve knew Danny was expecting an argument over who was driving. Right now, Steve was so happy to be going back to work, so happy to finally have been cleared for duty, that he didn't really mind that Danny wouldn't give up the driver's side of the car. Besides, he knew that it would drive Danny nuts that he _didn't_ challenge him for the privilege. So, with a slight, self-satisfying grin, he slid into the passenger seat and tossed the bag into the back.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself, Steven. What'cha got there?"

"Oh, this. Just something I need for work today. You ready?"

Danny turned and backed out of the drive, chewing his lower lip. They hadn't even reached the end of the street and the silence was already killing him. "So, Steve, you feeling OK?"

"Yeah, I feel great." Steve continued to stare out the windshield, catching Danny's eye movements as he tried to covertly check him out.

"Sleep OK?"

"Sure, don't worry, Danny. I'm ready for work." Truth be told, he hadn't slept all that well, but that was par for the course. He had woken up at least once every night since he left the hospital, dreaming that he was trapped in a stifling, black bag and had to claw himself out. But Danny didn't need to know that. He had enough nightmares of his own and didn't need to know about Steve's.

"And nothing hurts, right?" Danny tried again.

"What's with the twenty questions? I feel fine, got plenty of sleep, went for a swim, ate breakfast and am ready to go to work. Speaking of, that light is green – think we could drive through now, or you wanna catch the next one?"

A horn blared from behind them before Danny hit the gas. "Well, if you must know, you always squawk when I drive, so I was wondering why you didn't fight for the keys."

"Oh, that." Steve grinned.

"Yes, That. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Steve admitted and looked at his partner and grinned. "I knew you were ready for an argument and I decided to not give you one. Now, if you don't mind, I need to make a stop before we get to headquarters."

~~~H50~~~

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Danny asked when they got out of the car and stared at the white concrete building in front of them. The one labeled "Medical Examiner Facility".

"Yeah, I'm sure," Steve replied, glancing back at his partner. "Gotta do it sometime… it only makes sense to do it in a controlled setting." He picked up the black bag from the back and slung it over his shoulder, heading for the door. Glancing back, he asked, "you coming?"

Danny shook his head and ran to catch up with his partner as he walked through the door. "What the hell is in that bag?" he asked once again, but Steve didn't reply. They walked down the lower level hallway and Danny confessed, "To be honest, after the last time I was here, seeing what I _**saw**_ here, this place gives *me* the willies."

"Well, since we're being honest," Steve said, "It probably is affecting you worse than me. All I remember are sounds and smells, so this time, it's not really creeping me out. And let's face it, I had my melt down going through the hospital morgue the other day. And I survived that one."

One of the doors leading into the hallway was opened and Max stood before them. "Steve, Danny, welcome. To what do I owe the visit?"

"Thanks for getting here early, Max," Steve told the ME. "I was hoping to show you something. Is he still here?" Steve glanced around the morgue room and set his bag down on the metal table and unzipped it.

"Yes, just a moment." Max went into a second room and called, "Mr. Stringer. Could you come here, please."

A few seconds later, Dale Stringer appeared, backpack slung over his shoulder, a sullen look on his face. He glanced at Danny, his face lightning in recognition. "Hey." He then looked at Steve and his eyes widened. "You're the dead guy… Wow. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks. How's 'Sweetums' doing?"

Dale stared at him blankly as Steve began removing things from his black kit and setting them out on the table.

"Who?"

"You know, Janine. I think you called her 'Sweetums'. How's she doing?"

"Uh, well, we, ah, broke up. How did you know—" He stared at Steve as the commander snapped a pair of black gloves onto his hands and picked up a light.

"Hmm, that's too bad," Steve commented, staring Dale in the eye.

"OK, Steve, I gotta ask," Danny interrupted him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Be patient, Danny, just be patient."

Danny looked at Max and the ME shrugged, unsure where this was leading.

Steve looked around at the refrigerated boxes built into the wall. He glanced at the position of the morgue table and then moved toward the wall. "Which one was it, Dale? The one you shoved me into? I'm gonna assume it is this one with the "do not use" sign on it, right?"

"Well, ah—I don't, I uh, don't really remember. How do you know these things?"

"Ah, come on. If I recall, you said it was your 'favorite', right? Max, is this the one?"

"Yes, you are correct. I checked this morning and the thermometer is still not reading correctly. We have not used it since, well, since you were here."

Steve opened the door. "Max, I'm going to guess that Mr. Stringer knows why the temperature gauge is off, isn't that right, Dale?"

"I –ah, no sir… of course not!"

"Really?" Steve turned and pulled out the metal tray from the drawer. "Are you sure? I mean, it would have been pretty uncomfortable for you and Janine to lay on this frigid tray if the temp was really at 39 degrees. Don't you think?"

"To what are you referring, Steve?"

"Yes, Steven? To _**what**_ are you referring?" Danny crossed his arms and wondered if maybe it wasn't such a good idea for Steve go come to work today.

Steve flipped on the UV light and shone it onto the tray, not saying a word. Numerous _unknown_ splotches showed up under the light. "I'm saying that Mr. Stringer uses this particular tray as a chick magnet. Not really sure why, but whatever floats your boat, Dale. Max, I'm guessing you will find numerous DNA samples on there."

"Hey, that's not—"Dale began.

"Give it up, Stringer. The one thing you _didn't_ know what that I was awake while I was in here. Heard the entire, sordid thing with your 'Snookems'. Sorry she ditched you. But maybe the name 'Baby Doll' turned her off, you just never know with women."

Danny stood with his mouth open. Totally at a loss for words.

Something very rare indeed.

It took a few moments for Max to realize exactly what Steve was implying, but when he realized, his eyes widened in astonishment.

"Mr. Stringer, you are dismissed. Your final paycheck will be mailed to the address we have on file."

"Hey, now, that's not fair. I got two days vaca—"

"I would suggest you leave now, before I lose my temper. Not only is it your job to prepare the bodies at intake… with utmost respect, I might add, but it is your responsibility to thoroughly clean and disinfect the premises nightly. Including the coolers. You might want to leave on your own accord before I have you escorted from the premises."

Max had risen to his full height and puffed out his chest, quite indignant that anything untoward would happen in _his_ morgue.

Dale began to scurry out the door when Steve grabbed his wrist and jerked him back around. "But not before you give my watch back." He stared at Dale's wrist.

"This was a gift-" Dale began to explain.

"You're right. A gift to me, from a … friend." Steve unfastened it from the kid's arm and flipped the watch over. "It says so, right here on the back. 'To Steve, From Cath'. If I were you, I would leave now. It might save you from a theft charge.

Dale needed no further urging and was out the door. Steve pulled off his gloves and tossed them into the trash. "My work here is done." With a grin, he looked at his still-shocked friends, then put the light back into its case.

Finally, Danny spoke, "Are you serious about all this?" He pointed to the refrigerated box, a look of disgust on his face.

"Oh, yeah. I heard the whole thing. My ears still hurt."

"Steve, I am so sorry…"

"Hey, Max, not your fault." Steve glanced back at the still opened drawer. "But after seeing all… _**that,**_ I think I need another shower. Coming, Danny?" With deft fingers, he plucked the key ring from his partner's slack hand and walked out the door.

"Hey! Wait. Steve?! Don't leave me here. And I'm driving!"

~~~H50~~~

_**Note: In the first chapter, I mentioned that Steve had a scar on his upper right thigh. Stv2 wrote and asked how he got it. I hadn't thought about it, so I created the scenario and sent it to her. She wanted more, so I told her to add to it. She did and we have a final product ready for publication after some minor tweaks. Next week, be on the watch for a short story by Stv2 and Cokie!**_

_**Mahalo!  
**_


End file.
